Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations (A Fire Emblem Fates Remaster)
by YourHighlord
Summary: A retelling of the FE:F- Revelations line with my own little twist, my own character assisting our fair maiden through her journey through Nohr, Hoshido and the unnamed kingdom. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Prologue & Intro

( _ **A/N**_ : This is going to be much more detailed than the previous two. Since this version is meant to be a re-telling of Revelations with a more realistic story, similarly to the Blazingknight's "How to Improve Fates" video on Youtube)

(Everything for now isn't technically mine, the original six chapters belong to Gublyb. Now, before you all call me out for plagiarizing, let me say that I am simply using this story as a guide since I took an interest in it and it gives me a chance to write in the third person, which I don't have the best experience with. And if the author contacts me and tells me themselves to stop writing it, I will stop. But until then, I will keep putting these out unless told otherwise.)

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 0: A Short Introduction**_

* * *

 **(And just so we're clear, I do not own Fire Emblem, its characters or music, and the first six chapters are my personal re-writes of Gublyb's "Fates Rebirth: Conquest)**

 _We begin in a large mansion, tucked into a small valley in Northern Minnesota, moving to a large library in the attic of said mansion. Our view shifts to a single chair in front of a large fireplace, where a teenager, with silver glasses, dark-brown hair, and dark-green hazel eyes which were locked onto the screen of a Nintendo 3DS XL._

"Hmm? Oh, hello there." He began, showing a small grin. "You seem to have come a long way." He closed his device, stood up and stepped aside. "Please, take a seat by the fire."

You take his place and leaned back in the chair. It was quite soft, yet not very warm, despite being right in front of the fireplace. The teenager was browsing the shelves while you adjusted. "Do you want anything else? Food? Tea?" You shake your head. "Very well then, what do you want?"

You murmur a few words. "A story?" You nod. "Then I shall see what I have."

He browsed through one of the many shelves, each one containing a different assortment of tomes, journals, scrolls and even a few tablets on chargers. "Do you have a preference, perhaps?" You murmur another few words. "A tale of the past, passed down from generations lost? Hmm…"

He browsed the shelves nearby, running his finger over an assortment of leather-bound books. "Do you have any interest in my travels?" You nod. "Splendid, then I shall let you decide. Be warned, most of these stories may seem… absurd, but I assure you these events are true."

He pulled three books from one of the shelves and a cushioned stool from the shadows and sat down in front of you. "Now, would you like to hear of the ancient land of Valentia?" You shake your head. "Then perhaps my most recent tale, that of the great king Chrom and his genius tactician?" You shake your head again. "No? Hmm…" He held the final book in his hands, a look of sorrow half-hidden by the poor lighting. "Then I know the one to tell. You look the kind who needs a more enticing tale to hold your attention." He was about to read before he tapped himself on the forehead in realization. "Oh, where are my manners, I completely forgot to introduce myself! My name is Roger William Marren, and I shall be your host and narrator for this story," Roger cleared his throat. "Now then, let's begin…"

" _The tale began many, many years ago, before the first Exalt ever sat on the throne of Yilesse. Before, even, the hero King Marth ruled these lands. Kingdoms so far lost to history, that the only evidence we have of their existence is legend and folklore. I am of course speaking of the ancient kingdoms, Nohr and Hoshido. They dominated the continent they shared, far outweighing other neighboring nations such as Cheve and Izumo. Although some details have fallen to history, those who know where to look can unearth the complex history of the two polarizing nations._ " Roger paused for a moment, staring sadly at the several blank pages in the book. "I have journeyed from coast to coast, through mountains, valleys and even other worlds to assemble the full story, but alas," He sighed. "The first few pages seem to be out of my reach, no matter what I try. Now, where were we…"

" _Nohr was the harsh and barren western kingdom, fraught with a bitterly cold climate and short daylight hours. A combination of the natural landscape, geological positioning and other factors had led to an inhospitable environment. Not blessed with many natural resources, Nohr endured many periods of hardship and starvation. But hard times create strong men, and soon Nohr forged itself into an empire, using the sweat and blood of those its kings deemed less important. Nohr spread across the West, assimilating other nations into its ranks so as to keep the infertile motherland fed with resources it lacked. The more people it had to feed, the more nations it conquered, the more people they had more people to feed. There wasn't much land left to take in the West, but a growing population cried out for more land, fertile land. Their gaze turned east, towards rumors of endless lands of plenty and wealth._ "

" _However, this abundance of fortune had already been claimed by another Kingdom- the ancient and traditional nation of Hoshido, supposedly descendants of the Dawn Dragon. Having developed in the plentiful countryside, their nation overflowed with more peaceable ventures such as arts, culture and traditions. With such plentiful resources right within their borders, Hoshido felt no need to engage in excessive trade with outside nations, even those smaller nations who shared the west with them. It did not make them popular, but they were respected for their rich culture and sciences, which they did share with their neighbors. Hoshido grew rich and bountiful, but at the same time, complacent. And as the old saying goes, good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times._ "

" _Nohr began to push on Hoshido's borders, asking for shares in land and resources. Hoshido, seeing no need to compromise their comfy way of life to supply a nation with a habit of aggressive expansion, refused. Nohr kept pushing. Tensions developed, and it seemed war was inevitable. In an effort to avoid such an outcome, the leaders of both countries gathered for peace talks. King Sumeragi of Hoshido and King Garon of Nohr traveled to the semi neutral nation of Cheve to decide the fate of both nations._ "

" _The legends vary wildly as to what occurred in these peace talks. I myself have heard many conflicting stories about who did what, and who instituted the conflict. The only thing that is said with certainty is that on that day, is that King Sumeragi was cut down by Nohrian soldiers. Garon declared war on Hoshido, sparking a conflict that would drag on for more than a decade without significant change. The nation of Nohr had began its next conflict. Stay through my tale, and I can tell you what I believe happened on that fateful day._ " You eyed Roger expectantly, he noticed your look and laughed slightly. "But first, you must hear of what happened after."

" _Sumeragi's beautiful wife, Queen Mikoto, became the new leader of Hoshido in his passing. She had been married to him for many years, and was well loved among the people for her beauty and kindness. The new Queen decided she would not allow Nohr to trample over their nation. Being a diviner of some skill, she used her powerful magical ability to craft an impenetrable barrier that no Nohrian of ill intent could pass through. In response, the Nohrian dark mages crafted a new, twisted life form that had no intent or reasoning of their own. The Faceless, primal beings of immense destructive power. They were frequently sent across the border to cause trouble in isolated villages, and their corrupting influence slowly began to degrade Queen Mikoto's barrier._ "

" _While Hoshido's defenses rose in strength, they still launched no counterattack to stop the strikes from Nohr, afraid that the losses in combat would leave them open to exploitation. It became a long waiting game, as Nohr became more and more starved of resources and the populace went through devastating food shortages, while Hoshido felt the walls closing in around them on all sides. Both became more and more desperate. Nations that still tried to remain neutral, such as Izumo, felt themselves being sucked into the conflict, forced to choose who they would support- or have the choice made for them. Though nobody in Hoshido wished to admit it, they all knew all out war was coming. And in Nohr, the starving populace waited anxiously for the chance to feed themselves._ "

" _But yet, deep in the Northern heart of Nohr, another descendant of the dragon blood lay dormant, having lived their life in isolation and dependency. She was the daughter of King Garon, raised from birth in the isolated Northern Fortress. His many other sons and daughters already fought for him, but had not achieved much progress. He hoped that his last, secluded daughter would be the linchpin he needed. However, the king didn't need just another princess, for he already had two other daughters. No, he needed a true, powerful warrior. So King Garon saw fit to devise a test. Lady Caitlyn would have to best Xander, the eldest of the royal siblings and her own brother, before she would be permitted to leave the castle. Her entire life was dominated by training and learning from the finest teachers Nohr had, crafting Caitlyn into the ideal Nohrian princess. Every year, Xander was sent to test Caitlyn and every year, the younger princess came closer to beating him. But, after another food crisis swept through Nohr, Garon could wait no longer. He dispatched Xander to test Caitlyn , for the final time, whether she was ready or not. The world needed Caitlyn to wake up from her life of comfort._ "

" _Nobody could have predicted the way Garon's gambit would play out, not even him. For Caitlyn's journey would change not only the course of Nohr, not only Hoshido, but would shake the entire world to its core. But she was not yet that woman, not yet the legendary warrior who would end the endless conflict of Nohr and Hoshido. She was still just a girl, one who was unprepared for the world outside her small home. The story I will tell to you is the journey she took between those two people. It is a tale of war, betrayal, conquest and birthright. A tale for the ages, that I personally saw to make sure that it would never become what it once was, a legend._ "

" _It all began on a cold and dark morning, up in the tallest tower of the Northern Fortress. Caitlyn slept fitfully, for her dreams are filled with strange memories she can't seem to place…_ "


	2. Chapter 1: Nohr

_**Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 1: Nohr**_

* * *

 _ **~Northern Fortress; Eastern Nohrian Mountain Valley, Early Morning~**_

Far to the North of Nohr, hidden behind a fearsome mountain range, lay the Northern Fortress. It served no tactical purpose in the current age of Nohr, all enemies to the north long since having been absorbed into the empire. It held a scant few people, with only eight consistently staying there and their current guest. The majority of them lived in service to the young woman who had lived in the Northern Fortress all her life: Lady Caitlyn, daughter of the King of Nohr. On the day her life changed forever, Caitlyn was dreaming. She slept fitfully, her dreams filled with blurry pictures and feverish mutterings. The images seemed to slip from her memory as soon as she moved on from them, but subconsciously she still felt the dream was important. Somehow...

"Time to wake up, Lady Caitlyn!"

The call pierced into the sleep of the young Princess, and she slowly began to open her eyes. Still groggy from her fitful sleep, Caitlyn merely groaned and rolled the bedsheets tighter around herself.

"Hey, wake up Lady Caitlyn! Up and at 'em!"

The voice of her second caregiver awoke her further, fully dragging her from the realm of dreams. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Caitlyn sat up in bed to face the two maids that stood dutifully at her bedside, Flora and Felicia.

"Gahhh... What are you talking about? It's still dark outside..." She groaned. The young Princess was used to being allowed to sleep until the day broke, which for Nohr usually meant half the day had passed. She would not be granted such luxury today.

"Listen well, Princess. It may be dark, but it is indeed morning. You have practice with Lord Xander today."

Caitlyn sharpened her vision on the third figure in the room, standing respectfully by the corner adorned in full plate armor. Her trainer, Gunter, was not normally present for her morning routine, not even when it was a training day. Something was different about today.

"I have taken the liberty of preparing your armour and, er, pounding out the dents. Still not fully recovered from last time, eh?"

Only then did Caitlyn notice the final person in the bedroom, her loyal butler Jakob. He was normally in charge of breakfast (They could hardly trust it to Felicia) and it was again another surprise to see him here on this morning. Regardless, Caitlyn knew from experience that they would not allow her to rest again once she was awoken.

"Ughh. Fine. I'm not even fully awake yet..."

Flora grinned, perhaps a slight bit more than necessary. "Oh, I can help with that." Reaching out a hand, she laid the back of her palm against Caitlyn's arm. With a yelp, Caitlyn lept to her feet, until realizing the fact she was still in her nightgown and quickly ducked beneath her sheets to hide herself. Sticking her head out to show her awake state.

"C-Cold! Now I'm awake! Totally awake now! No need for any more ice magic!"

Flora only grinned wider. "Well, that's how we deal with slugabeds where I come from!"

Clearly, today must be more than just a normal training session if the normally tolerant Flora was taking it so seriously. With some convincing, she slid out of bed, yawning one final time before standing up and wrapping herself in the dark cloak on the bedpost nearby. "Even so, I wish I could have finished the dream I was having."

Jakob, ever willing to entertain his Lady's idle thoughts, inquired further. "What kind of dream was it, my Lady?"

Caitlyn tried to think back to the vague flashes that had made up her dream, but came up mostly a blank. "It was…" She thought for a moment, trying to think of a fitting word. "Strange. Some people who I didn't recognize kept calling out to me, their sister. But all the family I've ever known looked nothing like them..."

Flora cleared her throat expectantly. "Ah, Lady Caitlyn, maybe we should discuss your dream another time."

Felicia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's time for you to get moving! Prince Xander has just arrived, and you know he hates to be kept waiting!"

She did. Turning to face her armor stand, she studied the ornate yet practical armor she always wore in combat, repaired and polished to a gleam by Jakob, who stood proudly to the left of it.

"Will milady require any assistance to put the armor on?"

Caitlyn shook her head, determined to handle it herself. "No thanks, Jakob. I've got it this time... I think."

Gunter nodded. "Well, do hurry. Time is of the essence, so please join us in the courtyard when you're done." The royal knight walked stuffy out of the room, followed by Felicia and Flora. Jakob lingered by the doorway.

"Are you sure you don't require my assistance, Lady Caitlyn? It's just that last time-"

"I've learned from last time. The buckle goes over the armour, not under it. I know. I'd like to try manage it on my own."

Jakob reluctantly stepped out the door. "Very well, Lady Caitlyn. Although I may call for some… assistance, in case you run into any... Unexpected issues. Oh, and there's a vulnerary on the desk should you require energy."

Caitlyn shook her head as Jakob exited her room. She'd seen Jakob put the armor on her countless times before, surely she could do it herself.

"Now, let's see. Breastplate over the chest, these straps here tightened... Wait no, the undershirt goes on first... Or is it the collar? Blast, now my arm is stuck. Gah! What infernal demon designed this suit? How am I expected to put this on with merely two hands?" She stood in silence for a second, contemplating what to do, before sighing and admitting defeat. "Jakob! Could yo-" She cut herself off as a new figure entered her room.

The newest figure wore a set of the Nohrian Mercenary armor, however, unlike the standard Nohrian Maroon plate and pauldron, his was a bright white with a silver-coloured border. He had a black cloak about his shoulders, a pair of black, tight-fit, fingerless gloves and he had an ornate scabbard at his back. His face was calm and young-looking, with gleaming hazel-green eyes and a head of slightly messy chestnut brown hair, all cut short. This was Lord Roger Marren, one of her father's Tacticians. He was assigned to her as a bodyguard, and then she later accepted his request to become her retainer since they've known each other for several years now.

"Need a hand, Lady Caitlyn?" Roger joked, seeing the mess that Caitlyn had gotten herself into.

She bit her tongue and gulped. She wasn't keen to admit it to anyone, but she did have a fondness for Roger. She didn't know why, but she just _liked_ him. She timidly nodded and stood still as he slowly removed each piece of her armor, making sure he didn't pull any of her hair or hurt her in any other fashion. She stayed silent as he removed the last misplaced pauldron and replaced it onto the armor rack. He looked at her with an amused expression as Caitlyn's face was as red as her eyes.

"Th-Thank you, Roger…" She murmured, grabbing her arm in embarrassment. "So Jakob…?"

"Yes, he called for me, since I seem to be the only male besides Jakob you're comfortable around." Roger chuckled. "Now, shall I remind you what armor pieces go first and where they need to end up?" He grabbed the breastplate. "Or would you like me to do it since I'm here?"

Caitlyn nodded as Roger gently began to replace her armor after she put her clothing and chainmail on. Caitlyn was honestly surprised at how careful he was being to make sure she retained full mobility and still have complete protection from enemy weapons. Once he had finally placed the pauldrons of her outfit and attached the cape he grabbed a black headband with a silken white rose and placed it on her head.

"There, finished. Now, do you mind if I join you and your brothers and spectate you while you battle Xander? I'd love to see my training put to use."

"S-Sure… that would be lovely." Caitlyn replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Shall we?"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, with her armor on properly, Caitlyn was engaged in a sparring match with the crown Prince of Nohr, Xander. Her eldest brother usually visited her at least once per month to give her training in the art of swordplay. In all the time they had trained, Caitlyn had never once beaten Xander. And as her brother was always quick to remind her, she would not be permitted to leave the fortress until she proved herself in combat. Which, at the current, she was not doing. Xander lashed out with a particularly savage blow, knocking wind out of Caitlyn and forcing her to her knees.

"Woah! Enough, I yield!" Caitlyn gasped, gripping her stomach.

Xander hesitantly withdrew his dark blade, pulling the reigns on his horse to make it pull back from the winded lady. The onlooker to this battle, Leo of Nohr, smiled as Caitlyn staggered to her feet.

"That's our elder brother for you! You'll hardly beat the strongest knight in Nohr by sleeping all day, Caitlyn."

Xander nodded. "Well said Leo. Giving up so soon, Caitlyn? I expected more of you. You are a Princess of Nohr! Pick up your sword and try again."

Caitlyn felt as if she could barely stand after such a crushing loss. "But Xander, I-"

Before Caitlyn could continue, Roger marched onto their dueling ground, a concoction in his hand. He ripped the cork off and handed it to his lady, which Caitlyn took without hesitation and drank half the bottle before handing it back.

"My Lady, there is no place for excuses here, or on the battlefield." He handed her the Bronze Sword they used to train with. "Now get up and fight, don't make our time spent dueling each other be in vain."

Xander nodded to Roger as he walked back, retrieving his blade and attaching the sheath to his back. Caitlyn groaned and returned to her previous position. Xander noticed this and sighed, knowing that the Princess was still quite spoiled.

"We train like this to enforce the rule of Nohr and defend ourselves from our enemies. Father desires that all his children be able to do this, in some way or another. He would not be impressed to see you giving up!"

Caitlyn huffed in frustration. She had had enough dueling for one day. "Fine then! Let's have some more training, Xander."

The elder brother shook his head. "I'm not here today to train you. I've already taught you all you need to know in order to best me. No, father sent me here today to decide if you are finally worthy to leave the Northern fortress."

Caitlyn gasped. Freedom had been her goal for as long as she could remember, and now it was finally available to her. Seeing his sister's excitement, Xander held up a hand. "Be warned- if you are unable to land a hit on me today, then father may never allow you to leave."

Caitlyn's hopes immediately dwindled. "What! D-did he really say that? That's insane!"

Xander grinned. "Motivated now, are we? Then use that fire to best me in battle, little Princess. If you would see the world beyond the view from your window, defeat me. Prove to father that all the training I have given you has not gone to waste!"

Encouraged by his words, Caitlyn grasped her blade tighter and formed up into the fighting stance her opponent had taught her. Xander drew his blade once again, slipping his feet into the spurs of his horse. "The first move is yours, Caitlyn. Come at me when you are ready."

The young Princess approached slowly, anxiously looking for an opening in Xander's relaxed stance. From the sidelines, Leo shook his head.

"You'll never win playing defensively, Caitlyn. Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense."

Roger nudged Leo with his elbow. "Quiet. Let her focus."

Squashing her nerves, Caitlyn made a sudden lunge forward, blade stretched out parallel to her arm. Keeping herself low, she swept under Xander's blade and swung the sword at his chest. It harmlessly bounced off the heavy black armor, and Caitlyn quickly dashed away to avoid a counterattack.

"You did not go for the mortal blow! This is no longer training. You swing timidly, without resolve. You must genuinely try to kill me!"

Caitlyn turned herself back around to face Xander, who stood much more prepared for an assault, sword held at the ready. Caitlyn no longer felt safe going for another blow, but at the same time she could hardly sit and wait. Not when her freedom was on the line.

With a yell, Caitlyn launched herself at Xander, going high instead of low. Not expecting the move, Xander moved a fraction too late to avoid the blow and it stabbed into a joint in his armor, penetrating his rib cage. Not pausing, Xander responded in his with a mighty swing from his own sword, cutting a stripe of red down Caitlyn's back. Both fighters split apart gasping, clutching their respective wounds. After a few seconds, Xander sat back up in a fighting stance.

"Looks like that wound requires attention. In that case..." The royal held out his hand. With a rumble, the ground in the courtyard began to glow, until with a flash a halo of light appeared at the centre. Caitlyn had seen the draconian power to reshape the world demonstrated to her many times. Even her newest bodyguard had the ability to use Dragon Veins, but he never explained how. He kept saying it was a "family secret" and made sure Caitlyn would never know until the right time.

"Woah! There was a Dragon Vein here?"

"Yes, and you should have sensed it as well. The blood of dragons flows in your veins, as it does in all royals," His gaze shifted to Roger. "And the occasional exception as Roger has demonstrated. You must learn to harness this draconian powered wherever you may find it. Heal your wounds in the light, Caitlyn, then find the courage to come at me again."

Hesitantly, Caitlyn stepped into the Aura of light. With a faint hum, she felt the pain from her injury fade away, the cut sealing itself . Such was the power of Dragon Veins. Caitlyn kicked herself for not having sensed it earlier. With her wounds fully healed, she stepped out of the circle. Xander, she noted, did not take advantage of the vein.

"Good. Now that you've recovered some of your strength, try again!"

Spurred on by her brother's words, Caitlyn gripped her blade and charged at Xander again. The elder Prince was no longer fighting lightly, and his blade crackled with dark energy. Before Caitlyn had even approached, he spurred his horse forward in a charge. The sight of a fully armored war horse charging towards her caused Caitlyn to hesitate for merely a second, but it was more than enough for Xander to close the gap. The legendary blade arced towards Caitlyn, and the young Princess was barely able to block it. Caitlyn had seen Xander fight all out before, and could tell that the blow had barely been half of his full strength. He was still going easy on her. With a hiss, Caitlyn decided to change tracks and instead sliced at the horse's legs. Sher armor intended to use the distraction to dodge away again, but instead the horse reared of on its hind legs, forcing Xander to grip the reins tightly. Caitlyn saw her chance.

" **This ends now!** "

With a single elegant slice, she split the reigns apart. With nothing to grip, Xander suddenly found himself falling backwards off his bucking horse. His chest wound flared, and suddenly he felt in real danger of falling off. Wincing in pain, he sighed. It was a good way for Caitlyn to win. He released the grip of his legs and allowed himself to fall down, slamming into the stone tiles with a thump.

"Well done, Caitlyn."

The younger Nohrian was panting hard, still feeling the adrenaline of battle. She quickly sheathed her blade and ran to his side. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you too badly?"

Xander had fought on with far worse wounds than what Caitlyn had given him. "No, I'm alright. All the same, I would appreciate some help getting to the dragon vein. Bring my horse too."

Within the moment, Roger rushed over and helped Xander up while Caitlyn took hold of Xander's horse, using her oddly convenient calming aura to ease the horse back to its previous state. She glanced back to see Xander returning to full health, he nodded to Roger and watched him stand back up. Her two mentors walked over and gave her a small smile.

From the sidelines, Leo clapped a few times. "Bravo, Caitlyn. That was an excellent display."

Roger's grin widened gave his friend a polite shove. "Excellent? Please. What she did today was beyond measure." He turned to his Princess. "In fact, that means you have beaten both of Nohr's top soldiers."

Xander nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It seems you're getting stronger everyday."

Caitlyn smiled, blushing slightly at Roger's and Xander's comments. "I couldn't have done it without your, uh, tough love."

"I disagree. I believe you have natural talent. Someday, you could be the greatest warrior in Nohr."

Caitlyn thought back to the battle she had barely won, and shook her head. "Now you're just teasing me, Xander."

"You know me, Caitlyn. I never joke about serious matters. With your skills of the blade, you could lead our armies to break our stalemate with Hoshido."

No, Caitlyn thought bitterly, Xander would never lie to her. But letting her win to pump her confidence, that he would do. Her brother had given her every advantage, and even with the dragon vein she had only barely managed to 'defeat' him. It didn't feel like a true victory. Clearly seeing her dissatisfaction, Leo spoke up.

"Typical. You know that true strength is more than how well you can wield your blade, right?"

Despite trying to encourage Caitlyn, Leo was unable to keep a note of his own bitterness out of his comment.

"Leo, he didn't mean-"

"Calm yourself, little brother. You really are competitive to a fault. As I've always said, you're a talented mage with formidable magical abilities. As you say, physical ability is not the only path to victory."

Leo nodded curtly. "Hmm. Fair enough. Now, Caitlyn, do you need that armor repaired?"

Caitlyn snapped her fingers in realization. "Oh, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to tell you, Leo."

Leo sighed. "Something important to derail this entire conversation?"

Caitlyn held back a laugh. She was about to point out a very noticeable defect in Leo's clothing, but Roger beat her to the punch.

"Yes actually," Roger began, pointing at Leo's collar. "Your collar is inside out."

"What?!" The Dark Knight immediately ducked down behind a nearby wall, face red from embarrassment. "Why doesn't anybody ever tell me these things until later?!"

Xander laughed lightly. "It would appear somebody got dressed while still half asleep. Ha, don't worry. That sort of thing is what makes you so lovable."

"Absolutely." Caitlyn agreed.

"Definitely." Roger added.

Sighing, Leo stood up from behind the wall, his collar up the right way this time. "Hmph. Well, at least you told me before Camilla and Elise arrived."

"They're coming as well?"

Xander nodded, smiling. "Of course they're here. After all, you did just prove to me you are worthy of leaving the fortress. They want to celebrate with you."

Reality crashed down upon Caitlyn. Regardless of how easy Xander made it for her, she had earned her leave from the home that had become a prison. "So then, where are my sisters?"

Leo pointed over his shoulder. "There they are now."

Turning around, Caitlyn faced the other Nohrian princesses walking down from the tower. "Elise! Camilla! It's so good to see you again!"

The elder of the two, Camilla, opened her arms in a hug. "Are you alright, Caitlyn? Did you get hurt at all during the test? If you did, let me know right away so I can take extra special care of you..."

Caitlyn wormed herself out of Camilla's way as Roger took over, stopping her elder sister in her tracks. "She's fine, Camilla. I have and will forever make good of my promise, your sister will never be hurt as long as I stand."

Camilla smiled and hugged Roger instead. "I know, I'm just happy to see that she's fine."

The much younger sister, Elise, clutched onto her arm while she wasn't looking. "I was worried about you too, Caitlyn!"

Elsie's endless cheerfulness never failed to make Caitlyn a little happier too. "I know you do, Elise. That's why you're always visiting me."

"He he! But this isn't just any visit! We're here to-"

Camilla laid a hand on Elise's head. "No, let me tell her Elise. We have wonderful news, Caitlyn! Father is allowing-"

"-You to take me to the capital? Yes, Xander and Roger already told me."

Camilla frowned. "Xander! I was looking forward to telling the little darling! Why you go and spoil my fun?" Her gaze shifted to Roger. "And how did you find out?"

Roger simply pointed a thumb to Xander and began whistling. Another habit that Caitlyn thought was extremely weird, and that was the fact that Roger could act so casual in the most tense of situations.

Xander shrugged. "I had to find SOME way to motivate her. And she performed admirably under the pressure. Either way, it is good news indeed. You will be returning with us to the imperial capital to meet with Father."

Elise laughed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Caitlyn nodded in agreement. "It... It really is. Thanks, Elise. I'll finally be leaving this place. Maybe now I could join you as a soldier, fighting for Nohr?"

"There will be plenty of time to discuss the details with father." Xander replied. He gestured his hand to the door. "Come, we must depart quickly if we are to make good time. Have Jakob and Roger gather your things."

* * *

It only took a few minutes to gather Caitlyn's scant few physical belongings. Most of what she had gathered in the Northern fortress were memories, and one gift from her retainer (which she never removed from her head unless necessary) and she could carry them with her no matter where she went. Stepping down the stairs into the ground floor entrance of the tower, Caitlyn felt as if a huge weight was off her shoulders. Finally, she was free of the tower. Letting out a contented sigh of relief, she didn't notice the petite young woman approaching him from the side until she spoke.

"I hear you can finally leave the fortress now."

Caitlyn jumped and turned to face her. "Lilith! Don't sneak up on me like that. But yes, isn't it great? I can finally leave this place behind."

Lilith nodded. "I can see that you're happy, Lady Caitlyn. Gunter has asked me to go with you to the capital, to take care of the horses."

"Glad to hear it! You're one of the few people I'd miss leaving this place behind. There's nobody else I'd rather have along with me."

Xander stepped up to Lilith, who immediately stood at attention.

"Lilith, are the horses ready?"

"Yes milord. Everything is ready, and the horses seem excited for the trip. Caitlyn always did like to befriend them."

Camilla giggled from across the lobby. "Our Caitlyn does love animals. Such a kind hearted soul, always taking care of little injured creatures."

Caitlyn's face lit up with embarrassment. Despite being well past the age of maturity, Camilla always seemed to treat her like her little baby sister.

"Please, it was only ever on injured bird."

Lilith shifted uncomfortably, averting her eyes from Caitlyn. She did not fail to pick on on the motion however.

"Lilith, is something wrong?"

Lilith snapped her gaze back to Caitlyn and shook his head. "Oh... No. It's nothing."

Elise giggled. "Isn't it obvious, Caitlyn? Lilith is sad because she's going to miss you!"

"Miss me? But she's coming with us."

"Oh, right. We'll then, I bet she's sad 'cause she won't have your undivided attention anymore. You've always been fond of our sister, haven't you Lilith?"

Now it was Lilith's turn to go red. "I, er, well-"

Xander decided to show the poor girl some mercy. "As gripping as all this is, we should be on out way. We shouldn't keep Father waiting."

Grateful to jump out of this particular conversation, Corrin nodded. "Yes, let's go."

Roger however whispered something into Lilith's ear pointed to one of the far stables. The young stable girl nodded and walked over, undoing the large latch and letting a massive black horse walk out and follow Roger out to the courtyard. They all marvelled at the stallion, its size even greater than Xander's mount.

The party stepped out into the cold and windy courtyard, where a group of horses were already packed with the gear needed for a trip to the capital. Gunter was already waiting for them, fully mounted. "Good to see you're finally ready. I've checked over everything, it seems to be in order."

Xander pulled himself up onto his own horse, fully healed from its injuries. "Good. Anything else you wish to set in order before we leave?"

Gunter looked over to the trio of servants that hovered by the entrance. "Flora, you and Felicia will remain here and watch over the fortress. Jakob, Roger and I will accompany Lady Caitlyn. We may be gone for some time. Take good care of this place."

Flora nodded, her blue hair blown wild in the wind. "Of course. You can always rely on me." She waved to Caitlyn. "Farewell, milady. You'll have to wake on time without my help from now on."

Felicia gave a clumsy curtsy. "Safe travels, Lady Caitlyn!"

Caitlyn wanted to get right of her horse and say goodbye to two of her closest (and only) friends, but Xander was already leading the group out onto the road. Her future was before her, and it would not wait until she was ready to leave the past behind. She settled for waving back in response.

"Thank you both. For everything. I... I hope to see you both soon. Just not here!"

She allowed a few tears to slip out, before remembering what Xander had said to her about it not being proper for a Lady to cry in front of her subjects. It had been a lesson she needed teaching. Turning away from Flora and Felicia, she focused on giving her horse down the mountain path. Just a few minutes of riding, going around that crag and then she would. Be further away than he had ever been from the tower. Roger pulled his horse into stride next to Caitlyn.

"Feeling alright, Caitlyn? You seem… sad."

Caitlyn turned to her retainer and smiled. It was a feeling she couldn't place, but she strangely felt much calmer around her Father's other Tactician. In fact, that calm feeling was the reason behind his constant teasing and use of her name without any titles. Of all of the retainers in the royal family, Roger was, by far, the most casual around her and her siblings.

"... I'm better now. Thank you."

"This is going to be a very long and difficult road, milady." Roger warned. "Are you sure you're prepared for this?"

Caitlyn nodded and rode after her family, and away from her old life and towards her fate.

Roger simply watched and gripped the small necklace around his neck, the gem glowing an eerie amber. He noticed this a few times and most of the time it was because of Leo or Camilla's magic, but this time it was something about Caitlyn. He watched his Princess and made a mental note to check the jewel within his necklace to make sure he knew it was what he was thinking.

" _Be careful Caitlyn, I fear a dark and powerful force is brewing, and you may be the only one to face it._ "

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter 1...**_


	3. Chapter 2: A Gift of Ganglari

_**Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 2: Gift of Ganglari**_

* * *

"Here we are. Windmire."

Caitlyn looked down from the hill they were on to the vast city below her. The first thing she saw were the walls. They encircled the city and segmented it within, a series of concentric rings cut through by straight walls from the centre. Thousands of lights lit up the city in the dark night, casting an eerie glow. "I had no idea it was so large."

Leo pulled up alongside her. "It's one of the pinnacles of Nohrian architecture. It functions as a city, but at a moment's notice could be used as a fortress. The people who designed it were the greatest minds Nohr had to offer. I can only dream of being as genius as they were."

Caitlyn's attention was quickly drawn to the most obvious feature of Windmire: The large crater that sunk deep into the Earth, just off the centre of the city. Leo noticed her gaze.

"And that's the crowning achievement. Castle Krakenburg. It took huge effort to build such a large castle in the crater, but Nohr did it. That's where father rules from. It's the seat of power for all of Nohr."

Caitlyn took in the fine tuned architecture, the bizarre location. She could see the point of building it in such an insane location: It was a stubborn refusal to be halted by anything, not even the landscape. Castle Krakenburg was Nohrian spirit in physical form, and she couldn't help but be impressed. "I saw paintings of it, but… It's so large! How does it stay up on those supports?"

Leo laughed. "I wonder that myself sometimes. Every time I look at it the structure seems impossible, but the more I study it the more I appreciate the founders that built it. Perfectly balanced, structurally sound. The Hoshidans may like to think they are the leaders in architectural beauty, but this far surpasses anything they ever built."

Camilla caught up to her brother and sister. "Yes, mostly because it serves a purpose as well. Come, little sister. I'm sure King Garon is waiting to meet you. Let's not linger on these narrow roads any longer. You might get hurt, and I can't have that."

Leo nodded and spurred his horse forward. "Indeed. Trust me, Caitlyn, if you think it looks good from a distance, just wait until you see it up close…"

* * *

The journey through Windmire was much quicker than Caitlyn was expecting. Swift, straight roads led them to the city centre in a matter of minutes, and all the people on the streets immediately parted in front of them. Some even bowed, which made her slightly uncomfortable. Once they reached the lip of the crater, they had to dismount their horses, which Lilith took away to a nearby stable. Then came the steps, hundreds upon hundreds, which led them deeper down into the crater. Torches lit the way, and walkways linked across the crater from one side to another. Finally, they descended until they were level with the great castle Krakenburg. Caitlyn had to agree with Leo: Up close, it was much more impressive. And intimidating. What kind of man would live in an impossible castle built at the bottom of a crater?

"Xander?"

"Yes, Caitlyn?"

"... What kind of man is father?"

Xander slowed his pace and turned to Caitlyn. "You've met him before, haven't you?"

King Garon had visited Caitlyn rarely, no more than once a year, and most of the time to converse with Roger about new strategies. The two barely exchanged words at that point, and he seemed more interested in watching her duel against Xander, and occasionally Roger if Xander wasn't there. Caitlyn had no clue what the King was truly like. "Yes, but I'd like to hear what you think."

Xander was silent for a few moments. "... King Garon is a great man. He has led our people ever since he came of age, and has kept Nohr at the forefront of power in the west. He has endured many food shortages, and always found a way to keep Nohr alive. Yes, he had to make sacrifices. But above all else, he is a great ruler. I am honoured to have him as my father."

"That… doesn't really answer my question."

"Heh, I suppose so. Caitlyn, what you need to understand is that father is the King of Nohr first, and our father second. I have no doubt that he loves us all. So please understand, if he is hard on you, it is because he wants you to grow stronger. The same as I did during our training sessions."

"What do you think he will ask of me?"

"He will most likely ask you to demonstrate your abilities to him. Depending on how you perform, he will assign your first task accordingly."

"Task?"

"Father often sends us to be his envoys around the kingdom. Enforcing peace, maintaining the border, quelling rebellion. He is not normally unreasonable in his tasks to us. Do not worry, he did not raise you so carefully to throw you aside into an impossible challenge. What he asks will be difficult, but possible."

"He sounds like an honourable man."

"War does not always permit honour, Caitlyn. And make no mistake, we are at war with Hoshido. Sometimes, that means he must make undesirable decisions. Fear not, though. He always has Nohr's best interests- and ours- in his heart. Just remember to watch how you speak with him. He does not have tolerance for any insolence."

The group of royals reached the large entrance to castle Krakenburg. Several servants dressed in hooded robes gripped the doors tightly and pulled them open, slowly. Caitlyn gaped at the sheer scale of such a place. How had such colossal doors even been brought down here? He had no time to ponder the question, as Xander gently nudged him forward and into the castle.

"Father, we have arrived with our sister Caitlyn," Xander announced.

Caitlyn found herself in a great hall that stretched out before her. Cold stone bricks lines the wall, only lit by the torches on the wall. None of the sparse natural light above reached down here. And there, standing at the far end, stood King Garon.

He had changed little since Caitlyn saw him last. Dressed in the huge, ornate armour that was equal parts ceremonial and combat ready. A large fur cloak was draped over his shoulders, and Caitlyn found herself wishing she had brought her own cloak with her. It was cold down in the castle. A simple metal crown adorned his head, which although slightly more balanced than last time still had thick white hair over most of it. His face had remained totally unchanged, greyed and weathered skin with dark eyes gazing out from under a heavy brow. His stance demanded respect, and Caitlyn felt herself stooping a little lower on instinct. The group walked across the hall towards him as he stood in silence. Even when the group stopped in front of him, he stayed silent, staring directly at Caitlyn and Roger. Finally, he spoke.

"I see you made it here safely, Caitlyn." His gaze shifted momentarily to Roger. "And I am pleased to have you back within Krakenburg's walls, Lord Marren."

"Y-yes father. Long have I waited to visit you in Castle Krakenburg. Thank you for permitting me to leave the fortress."

Roger bowed and smiled. "I am always glad to return to the capital, my liege. I feel like I've returned to a realm that I can truly understand."

Garon's eyes shifted back to Caitlyn, "It is thanks to your own diligence that you are here. I am told you are now a warrior on par with Xander. You now posses the strength to be an instrument of Nohr's power in the world." A tiny smile flickered on his face. "This is… good, Caitlyn. Well done."

"Th-thank you father! I'll do my best for you."

Garon's face resumed its stony neutral expression. "I expect nothing less. Caitlyn, as you know, Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido."

Xander and Leo had given her a rundown of world politics on the way to Windmire. "Yes, Father. I have heard as much."

Garon continued. "We are the descendents of the ancient gods, the First Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. One who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops. Xander, Camilla, Elise, Leo and even Lord Marren have already shown that they posses this power. I expect nothing less from you."

Caitlyn nodded. A test of manipulating Dragon Veins. She could do this. For the first time since entering the room, she felt some confidence return to her. "I am well aware of your expectations, Father. And I have trained every day to become more like my siblings."

Garon turned around to face a large cabinet behind him. "Hmmm… you show great promise. But you will need a suitable weapon in order to serve Nohr."

Garon flung open the cabinet and reached inside. He withdrew from it a long, curvy sword. The blade was a dull onyx, tinted red, and it glowed with dark energy, much like Xander's sword. Garon threw the blade into the air, but instead of falling to the ground it hovered, floating over to Caitlyn like it had a mind of it's own. Caitlyn reached out and took ahold of the double guarded hilt, feeling the raw power running through it.

"Wow…" She breathed.

"This is Ganglari, a sword infused with power beyond this world. With it at your side, you will crush the Hoshidan army at your feet."

Caitlyn gave it a practice swing. It felt lighter than she expected for its size, and was perfectly balanced in her hand. "Thank you for this generous gift, father."

Xander looked at the blade with narrowed eye. "Yes… generous indeed." Roger nodded glared at the blade himself, his gaze wandering from Garon, to Caitlyn, and then ending at the sword and then repeating the same pattern.

Garon grinned as he saw Caitlyn holding the blade perfectly. "Now, let me see if you can put that sword to its proper use." He gestured to one of the hooded servants. "Bring out the prisoners!"

The man bowed. "Yes, sire."

Caitlyn was caught off guard. "Prisoners?"

" _This is new…_ " Roger whispered.

A door to the side of the hall was opened, and a string of strange looking men and women were brought out in chains. They were Hoshidans, Caitlyn realised. The guard dragged them out and pulled out a key, handing it to the man who seemed to be their leader. He quickly unlocked his own cuffs and then began on his comrade's. The guard then dumped a sack on the ground with a clang. It was full of their confiscated weapons. Caitlyn turned to face Garon, confused.

"Father, if these are prisoners, then why are you setting them free?"

Garon pointed to Ganglari. "I wish to see you in real combat, not merely in training. These are prisoners from our most recent skirmish in Hoshido. Use that sword to strike them down."

Caitlyn gasped. "All of them?"

Garon looked back up at the prisoners. "I suppose there is a rather large number of them. Very well, Gunter and your servant man may assist you."

Roger cleared his throat to catch Garon's attention. "My liege?" He asked, a look of anticipation on his face.

"Yes, Lord Marren?"

"It has been quite a while since I've been on the battlefield," Roger drew his own sword. The blade was a deep grey, and ended with a leaf-like point, finished with a dark-brown hilt and decorated with a blood-red garnet, Roger's birth gem. This was Alondite, a blade made eons ago with the power of fire and shadow imbued into the weapon itself. Caitlyn rarely saw Roger using it, due to the destructive power hidden behind the simple looking sword, but she knew of its power. As he walked by her, she could feel the heat radiating through the sheath.

"And I would like to assist my lady in this battle. Unless that would give her an unfair advantage."

"I will allow it, you are her bodyguard for a reason."

"Thank you, my liege." Roger went on ahead and exited through a side-door to a small area set aside for the trial.

The prisoners at the far end of the hall were now fully freed, and arming themselves. Caitlyn had never fought in real combat in her life, yet the murderous look in the prisoner's eyes confirmed that she would have no choice. Gunter entered from another side door, followed by Jakob. She saw Roger standing confidently, Alondite's blade gleaming in the faint torchlight.

"Keep calm, Lady Caitlyn. They are tired from their captivity, and have poor quality weapons. We can easily win this battle." He advised.

Caitlyn lowered her voice to a whisper. " _That's what I'm afraid of! Must we kill them_?"

Gunter stared at her, shocked. "If we do not fight them, they will cut us down, and then try to kill our king. Did you not wish to be a warrior of Nohr?"

"Yes…"

"This is what is means to be a soldier. I know it is not pleasant. It never is. But you had best get used to the idea of killing now, lest it catch up with you on a real battlefield."

Caitlyn grimaced and held Ganglari out. The opponents were already advancing menacingly, weapons at the ready. She counted six in total- one bearing throwing stars, four with katanas and the final brandishing a club. They were outnumbered, even with Roger's assistance. Add that with Jakob and Gunter, Caitlyn wasn't sure how she planned to win. She took a tentative step forward, and felt a faint twinge of power under her foot.

"Is that…? "

"Something wrong, my Lady?"

Caitlyn took another step, and the feeling became stronger. "I feel… something, emanating from the ground. Could it be…" Caitlyn held out her hand, which promptly became entangled in white light. With a burst of white, Caitlyn tapped into the Dragon Vein beneath the ground. The large, ornate statue that was in the middle of the hall was promptly torn apart, throwing rock around the room. When the dust cleared, a glowing half of light was left behind, just like with Xander. Different to that one, however, this one was much larger, covering half the width of the hall. Jakob gasped.

"Extraordinary! No statue can stand up to your mighty lineage."

Garon grinned wide. "Heh. Well done."

Gunter aimed his lance forward and set his horse at a trot. "Excellent plan, Milady. Now we can wait in there for them to come to us."

"Then let's get ready, we may have a healing spring below us, but that alone won't be enough to heal our major wounds," Roger tossed Jakob a vulnerary, due to his lack of self-healing. "Jakob, I'll need you to watch Caitlyn like a hawk. Make sure not a single weapon so much as touches the air around her."

"Right away."

"Gunter, you and I are going to play barricade. Cover the left side and I'll cover the right." He eyed Caitlyn and nodded. "And watch out for that Ninja, I've heard that Hoshidan shurikens are coated in a poison similar to the venom that Jakob and the other Dagger-wielders use."

"I will keep that in mind," He urged his mount to the left side of the grated area. "Just make sure you do your part, the less harm to Lady Caitlyn, the better." Roger nodded and made his way to the other side, Alondite's gem glowing a faint violet as he tightened his grip on the hilt.

The prisoners at the far end of the room had recovered from their shock. Their leaders, a green haired man dressed in traditional ninja gear and a dark skinned woman in a tribal head dress, advanced ahead of their group.

The woman spoke first. "I am Rinkah! Daughter of the Flame Tribe's honourable chieftain. I would know your name before I end your life, Nohrian scum!"

Caitlyn fell into step alongside Roger, Ganglari pulsing with energy in her hand. "I am Caitlyn, princess of Nohr."

The ninja faltered in his step. "Caitlyn?"

"Have you heard of me?"

He did not respond, instead falling into a combat stance."... I am Kaze, a Ninja of Hoshido. Show me what you can do."

Kaze and Rinkah broke into a sprint, charging at the small party, their own troops right behind them. King Garon sharply waved his hand.

"Caitlyn! Serve as my will and execute them!"

Caitlyn stepped into the silver light, and immediately felt the aches of her long journey fade away. In fact, she felt better than healed. She felt invigorated. Jakob approached behind them, bearing several daggers on his person.

"Milady, I've trained well in the dagger- effective both up close and at range. They are coated with a numbing poison as Roger noted, which should greatly decrease their fighting power."

Caitlyn watched as the group of Hoshidans grew closer. Mere seconds to combat now. She needed a combat plan. Countless lessons from Leo in the art of strategy flooded back into her head. "Roger! Engage Rinkah in combat, keep her busy! I will take the swordsman with red hair. Gunter, take the two swordsmen in green armor! Jakob, hit the Swordsman in blue with a dagger!"

Jakob swiftly obeyed his liege's instruction, hurling a dagger with a swift yet potent swing. It streaked towards its target like a blur, and embedded itself in the swordsman's neck. The man fell, gurgling on his own blood. Caitlyn had no time to reflect on the death, however, as now the prisoners were upon them.

"Time to have a little fun!" Roger shouted. With a malicious grin, he charged forward like an arrow, Alondite's edge coated in a faint purple flame. Rinkah found herself caught off guard by such an attack, but she managed to move to the left just enough for the sword to skim past her eye. Swinging her club in counterattack which also missed, and Roger spun himself around and slowly began to approach, the flames on his blade growing brighter with every passing moment.

Caitlyn had no time to issue any other orders. The swordsman she chose to engage had deft skills with a blade, blocking every strike from Caitlyn with ease. Kaze suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision, distracting her. The swordsman saw an opening and dashed in, the blade stabbing into her shoulder. With a cry of pain, Caitlyn brought Ganglari down in an executioner's stroke, stabbing deep into her opponent's back. The swordsman spluttered, coughing blood onto Caitlyn's chest. Then he slumped down, well and truly dead. Jakob was at her side immediately, hurling a dagger at Kaze. The ninja moved in a blur, snatching the dagger out of the air and dropping it onto the floor.

"Milady, are you hurt? Oh, yes. Not to worry, Butlers can use staves to heal wounds. Allow me…" Jakob drew the short staff from his waist and held it over Caitlyn's shoulder. With a soft pulse of green energy, the wound closed itself up. The silver aura around them quickly caused the lingering pain to fade. Jakob stood back up and immediately found himself fighting the third swordsman. The butler stepped back from every swing, not seeing any openings and keenly aware that Kaze was lining up a throw with a shuriken. "Milady! Some help would be greatly appreciated!"

Caitlyn stared down at the body she had created. He looked barely older than herself, blood seeping out over the grey stone from his mortal wound. Ganglari had seemed to move of its own accord, stabbing at the most lethal point. This… this was war? Caitlyn wanted no part in it.

"MILADY! I REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!" Jakob shouted. The swordsman had gained the upper hand by forcing him out of the silver aura, making him tire as he ducked away from the blows.

Caitlyn looked away from the body and saw her butler, one of the closest friends she had, get hit in the leg by a shuriken from Kaze. The man fell backwards onto his behind, ironically causing him to duck under the latest swipe from his opponent. The swordsman drew his blade back, prepared to drive it into Jakob's chest.

"NO! STOP!"

Caitlyn threw himself forward, bearing her blade forward. The swordsman turned to face the shout, catching a glimpse of Caitlyn just before the blade sunk into his stomach. The swordsman gasped, blood spurting out like a fountain, coating the dark blade in more blood. In his shocked mind, Caitlyn wondered if the reason the blade was so red from all the blood it had been soaked in. The swordsman slid off his blade, dropping his katana down with a clang. Jakob got back up onto his knees, hurling a dagger at Kaze. The ninja easily dodged, but it forced him back.

"Thank you, milady. Are you hurt at all?"

Caitlyn tore her gaze away from the dead man beneath her. "No… no I'm fine. Yourself?"

Jakob reached down and pulled the shuriken from his leg. "Nothing a stave can't heal, milady. I will keep this Hosidan trickster engaged, for now, I think you should assist Roger in his duel while I tend to Gunter."

Turning around, Caitlyn saw that Roger was locked in a fierce duel with the fiery savage. He was visibly panting, but still had a smile on his face as he shook off the fatigue and pushed on. Rinkah looked much worse for wear as well, bearing a gash on her bare stomach and holding her club much more loosely. Nevertheless, she roared a battle cry and charged forward, club aloft.

" **I'll burn you to ash!** "

To Caitlyn's amazement, as the club swung towards Roger it began to glow with fire, slamming into his blade with a burst of orange flame. Her jaw practically dropped when she saw violet flames begin to crackle and hiss at the point where she hit it, creating a small spectacle of dancing fire and light. Even though Rinkah was weakened from her wounds, she was still managing to push Roger down and she could see his arms shaking.

"We've got this!"

Before Rinkah could react to the new presence, Caitlyn was upon her, slicing the Ganglari horizontally. She had no way to avoid the blow. It cut across her midriff and right arm, forcing her to drop her stance and clutch her abdomen, keeping a grip on her club with her free hand. Roger wasted no time, he shoved Rinkah away and swung his blade upwards. Rinkah tried to deflect it only for her club to be cut in two on contact. Roger aimed a second, downward slash and Rinkah tried to step aside, but still managed to take another nasty gash to her abdomen. She fell to one knee and quickly clasped both hands over her stomach to keep as much pressure as possible on her wounds.

Caitlyn didn't waste time to check on her condition. How was Jakob doing? Turning around, she saw her butler was staying inside the Aura of light, exchanging knives with Kaze. The butler was doing significantly better, aided by the healing Aura, while Kaze was tiring from all the poison in his body. Before she could ask if the butler needed help, Jakob hurled another dagger which embedded itself firmly in Kaze's chest. The ninja let out a gasp, before the poison finally overwhelmed him and he fell down unconscious. Caitlyn breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Guess I did alright. They were tough, weren't they? I hope all Hoshidans aren't this strong."

Garon clapped his hands. "Very good, my daughter. But you have not yet finished your task. The Ninja and Savage yet live. Finish them."

Caitlyn looked around them at the bodies she had cut down, and then at the comatose bodies of Kaze and the bleeding, barely conscious body of Rinkah, both barely clinging to life. "But father… they're beaten. Surely there has been enough killing this day?"

Garon drew himself up to his full, fearsome height. "You dare to question me, your king? These are enemies of Nohr, and I am ordering you to kill them!"

Caitlyn could feel the blood on her armor. Not her own, but blood that had been part of a living being mere moments before. She had no desire to see another living being killed, not now or ever. "No! It's wrong!"

Garron snarled. "Very well. If you have not the stomach for this work, I shall do it myself." The king of Nohr held out his hand, with became wreathed in flame. With a wave of his hand, a colossal fireball shot forward towards the dying form of Rinkah. Caitlyn acted on complete instinct. Throwing herself towards Rinkah, she held Ganglari in front of her, shielding her face with her other hand. With a roar of fire, the flames washed over her.

Or rather, didn't.

She opened her eyes and brought her hand down to see Roger, of all people, standing in front of her. She saw the amber & crimson sphere of fire clashing against the bright violet and blue flames of Alondite. Roger looked back to her for a second and then to Ganglari, catching onto the silent plea, she stabbed the blade into the fireball from behind Roger and watched it fizzle out as the flames were absorbed into the blade. Once the ball was gone, Caitlyn watched as Roger flicked a small patch of violet fire from the edge. He sheathed his blade and turned around, an emotionless glare on his face.

"I will never let anyone kill an innocent life," He turned to the royals and Garon. "These two are beaten, disarmed and dying. Killing them isn't mercy, it's murder!"

The royal party watching next to Garon all gasped.

"Roger! What are you-" Elise began.

"Unbelievable," Xander breathed.

Garon took a step towards Roger, his face an unreadable mask. "You defy me directly, Lord Marren? What would you have me do with these prisoners, set them free? They travelled into Nohr seeking to scout it for an assault. You think I- no, Nohr- can afford to allow them to keep living?"

Roger spat in Garon's face, causing another gasp to be uttered from every soul in the room. "You are not the Garon I knew." He growled. "The Garon I knew would've kept them in the prisons, not execute them on the spot!"

"You insolent traitor!" Garon shoved Roger away and drew his own weapon, the axe of Nohrian Kings, Bolverk. "I shall not stand for this! Stand aside or face death!"

In response, Roger quickly drew Alondite and gripped the handle with both hands and locked eyes with Garon, a look of pure determination causing his hazel eyes to gleam with a faint amber tint. Garon noticed this and roared, rushing forward with Bolverk raised high. He chopped downwards and was stopped cold by Alondite's flame-wreathed blade, the violet fire licking the gold-plated teeth of Bolverk. Garon started to push downwards, attempting to overpower Roger and end his life. The next thing shocked everyone, Roger retaliated and pushed upwards, forcing Bolverk off of his own blade and knocking Garon back a few feet and then he stabbed the blade into the ground, causing a massive eruption of violet-blue flame to sear the ground around him and char the front of Garon's armor. He pulled the sword from the ground and sheathed it, his eyes still locked with Garon's.

"Listen to me, Si- no, _Garon_ ," He began, his voice oozing venom upon using Garon's name. "I will not stand for any of this. And as such, I resign from my position and I renounce this hell you call a kingdom. And I'm taking the prisoners with me."

"Wh-What?" Caitlyn gasped. Was this real? Did Roger just say that? No, no it can't be, Roger's one of the most loyal people she knew, he wouldn't just-

 ***CRUNCH!***

Caitlyn gasped and watched in shock as Roger crushed his Nohrian Army insignia under his boot, the black and silver shards gleamed dimly in the torchlight as Roger kicked them aside. She couldn't believe it, he was really abandoning the army. He was abandoning Garon. He was abandoning… her.

Xander stepped in front of Garon. "Father, please forgive him! He doesn't understand the situation here!"

"No," Garon kept his gaze locked on Roger. "Xander, Leo, Gunter. Escort Lord Marren and the prisoners to the Nestran border." He turned around and heaved Bolverk onto his shoulder. "From this day forward, Lord Roger Marren is hereby banished from Nohr and its surrounding territories, until the day he dies."

"... Very well." Xander turned to face Roger, still standing strong and waiting. "We will gather your items and lead the prisoners to the border. For now, you may leave for the-"

Caitlyn rushed forward and shoved Roger towards Xander. "No! You can't leave!"

Roger sighed and grabbed Caitlyn's shoulders and pushed her aside. "Mil- no, Lady Caitlyn, my choice is final. I am sorry, but I have seen what Garon has become after years of war, and I will not stand and watch two innocent lives be taken by his rage and bloodlust."

"I know, but-"

Camilla sighed, clenching her fists tightly. "Please, Caitlyn, don't fight him…" She locked eyes with Roger and pouted. "He… has made up his mind."

Leo glared at Roger before sighing. "Roger. Follow me, I'll unlock your quarters."

Roger nodded and pulled a vial from his tunic. The bottle was crystal, sealed with a silver-leafed cork and tied off with twine. He walked over to Rinkah and poured it down her throat, the strange potion started to seal her wounds, stopping the bleeding and leaving her much paler than before. Caitlyn realized what he used, an Elixir, one of the most potent medicines that can be made. Caitlyn remembered Roger saying that a single Elixir is worth about fifty gold pieces, which was quite the large amount of coin in her mind. He helped her up and muttered something to Gunter, then quickly returning to Leo's side. The elder knight nodded and picked up the now comatose bodies of Kaze and Rinkah and placed them onto his horse. He muttered something back and rode towards the exit, leaving Elise, Xander, Camilla, Garon, Caitlyn and Jakob as the only remaining souls left in the room.

Caitlyn turned towards her siblings and looked at all of them in disbelief. They've known Roger longer than she had, they even considered him as a part of their family! She took in all of their different emotions and faces: Xander's look of stoic sorrow, Camilla's look of strain as she held back tears, Elise's wails as she cried into Xander's cape, and then there was Garon, his face unmoved, his eyes locked on Roger as Leo lead him out of the area. Once they left, he turned back to Caitlyn, his face still emotionless.

"Father, you cannot-"

"Silence," Garon growled. Caitlyn caught her words and stayed quiet. "...While I am quite livid at Lord Marren's betrayal, I am pleased with your actions and your combat prowess."

"R-Really?"

Garon nodded and began to walk towards the door. "I believe you have truly earned your right, as the Princess of Nohr, to assist your siblings in the battle against Hoshido." He turned back for one moment and smiled. "I am proud of you, my daughter. And now I expect nothing except perfection from you now."

With his final statement echoing through the battleground, King Garon left the royal party with the corpses.

As soon as the doors clanged shut behind the king, Caitlyn turned to face Xander. "Xander… please tell me-"

"I'm sorry Caitlyn, but father's word is final." He looked to the door as Roger and Leo returned. Leo with a small bag of weapons, and Roger with a bag and a small sack on his back. "And it seems like Roger is ready to leave."

"Lord Xander," Roger began, his normally cheerful and jovial voice now replaced with a colder, more serious tone. "I am ready. I expect someone has already notified Lilith about Jalousie?"

"Your steed is waiting along with the prisoners," Xander looked him dead in the eye. "Roger? Do you know what will happen once you exit into Nestra?"

"I do."

"And you would be willing to fight me if the need arises?"

"I will."

"Very well," He grabbed Roger by the wrist. "Then let us take our leave."

He pulled Roger away from Caitlyn and walked over to Camilla, who he muttered a few things to. Nodding in agreement, Camilla called one of the hooded servants over to her. "Lord Xander requests that these warriors should be buried like soldiers, not savages. Bury them in the northern district cemetery, and take care as you do so."

The servant bowed. "As you wish, Milady."

Xander sighed and turned to Roger. "Roger, I do hope that you will rethink your decision. One day, you will see that Nohr is the best place for you."

"I have to disagree with you, neither Nohr or Hoshido is my home," Roger admitted. "Nestra is my home, and if I can't stay in my home, then I'll say goodbye to my friends and make my way to the other half of my heritage."

"Wait, "other" half?" Xander's eyes widened. "So you truly are-"

"Yes, half Nohrian and half Hoshidan." He turned and left, leaving everyone in silence.

Beginning to realize the events that had just transpired, Caitlyn started to sob. "This can't be happening…"

Camilla enveloped her sister in a hug as she finally lost it. She started wailing into Camilla's shoulder, her hot tears leaving a large damp area on her undershirt as she cried. Her muffled wails taking the place of Elise's as she finally accepted all of the events that had just transpired. After a solid ten minutes, Caitlyn let go of Camilla and followed the rest of her siblings out.

As the group walked out of the bloodied hall, Caitlyn fell into step alongside Leo. "Brother, do you-"

"No. I am sorry sister, but even this is out of my reach. Yes, I could give him a magical item, or place a rune on him that could allow me to track him, but I do think this is for the best."

"I… I see," She wiped a few tears from her eyes and sighed. "And Roger and I apologize for the whole collar bit."

Leo sighed, but kept smiling. "Apology accepted, now please NEVER bring it up ever again."

Elise, finally tired from crying, sniffled and sighed. "Does father know about Roger's "secret"?"

Camilla shook her head. "No, we were able to hide his past, but I doubt this is fully under the rug. Father has a knack for discovering things we prefer to keep buried."

Elise laughed weakly. "Like your first boyfriend, sis?"

Camilla buried her face in her hands. "Please, Elise. You can stop bringing that up any day now."

Leo smiled along with Elise. "You tried so hard to keep him a secret, always sneaking off in the middle of the night. Father found out though, didn't he? Insisted that he had to 'test the boy's honor." Why, whatever did happen to him?"

"I grew up from such flights of fancy. He may have endured father's scrutiny, but he did not survive mine for long. There is a high standard I keep for those in my personal life." Camilla smiled at Caitlyn. "You pass, of course."

Caitlyn sniffled and grinned slightly, still far to unnerved by the blood on her hands to feel in any jovial mood.

* * *

Once they completed the long journey up and out of castle Krakenburg, Leo revealed where he and Xander had brought Roger and the two Hoshidan warriors to. A derelict house in the southern district, seemingly abandoned, but securely sealed for anyone trying to get in or out. Thankfully, when Leo had opened the doors they had not been immediately attacked but instead they were lead in by Roger so they could ensure Kaze did not swiftly die of blood loss. A series of heals from Jakob and Elise quickly saw both Rinkah and Kaze brought back to full health, although Elise did use a sleeping stave on them to ensure they didn't try anything while they were all still in Windmire. Covering them up with canvas and slinging them over Xander and Roger's horses, the royals quickly smuggled the Hoshidan soldiers out of the capital.

"They were caught fairly early into their expedition. Hopefully, they don't have any important information to gather back."

Camilla and Elise had returned to the capital, leaving Caitlyn, Leo, Roger and Xander to wait for Kaze and Rinkah to wake up. They were far outside of the city limits, cloaks around their shoulders to keep out the cold.

"Ideally, we wouldn't release them at all. Here we are, a princess and the princes of Nohr, going to all this trouble just to smuggle out some Hoshidan spies. It's outrageous." Leo muttered.

"... Please try to understand. Seeing them lying there, helpless... I couldn't let myself stand by and let them die. Not after so much death had already occurred."

Xander shuffled in place to keep warm. "Caitlyn. I ask you this question seriously. Do you still wish to serve Nohr as a soldier? I am sure father could find other ways to put you to use off the battlefield."

Caitlyn thought over the answer long and hard. Could she truly be a soldier if she didn't want to kill people? More importantly, would her father even let her leave the battlefield after she had gone through so much trouble to raise her as a warrior? Ever since she could remember Xander had filled her head with stories about the glory of fighting for Nohr. She had just been in her first battle. She didn't feel glorious.

"... I don't know. This isn't how I expected war to be like. The Hoshidans... they were people."

Leo nodded. "Yes, they are. And so are the countless hundreds of people who live in Nohr right now, on the brink of starvation. Hoshido has vast wealth and resources that they chose not to share with us. Look at Cheve: They voluntarily surrendered themselves to Nohrian rule, and now they have become a booming economic capital. Hoshido has vast wealth, but they choose to squander it on themselves with extravagant feasts and festivals. We have to act in the best interests of our people, and when we conquer Hoshido, they will be our people to. Redistribute wealth and food across the whole Nohrian empire, ensuring all have enough. We are no monsters, Caitlyn. The world could be a better place under Nohrian rule."

"Hah! I've never heard such garbage in my life." Rinkah sat up from where she had been laid against a boulder. "Nohrian logic at its finest. You attack our borders, raid our villages, slaughter our soldiers and have the nerve to call us the wrongdoers?"

Xander got to his feet and drew his blade. "Be silent, and listen well. It is by my sister's kind heart and my dear friend's intervention that has brought your freedom. Disappear now, lest you be spotted by less merciful servants of our king."

Without saying a word, Roger motioned for Kaze and the two of them stalked off into the night. The sound of Roger's horse fading slowly as he rode into the darkness. Rinkah was much more vocal. "Tch. I am not a hostage to be freed. You said your name is Caitlyn? Next time we meet, you will pay for this humiliation!"

Caitlyn stood as well. "I hope that the next time we meet, it will be as friends."

Rinkah scoffed. "Softhearted and soft-headed as well! I am a Hoshidan warrior. You do not understand what you suggest."

"Yes, we may be at war right now. But the day will come when we will be at peace, one way or another. I'm thinking ahead to that day."

Rinkah began to walk away after Kaze and Roger. "I've heard rumors of a sheltered Nohrian princess who knows nothing of the world. I see those rumors are true. If we do meet again, the world will no doubt have taught you the error of your ways." Rinkah disappeared around another boulder and into the wintry night. The two princes and princess of Nohr stood silent for a moment, before Leo spoke.

"I never thought I would see the day when a Hoshidan savage spoke wiser words than a prince of Nohr. Listen well to her, Caitlyn. It is a fool's errand to try and end this war by making friends."

Caitlyn felt Ganglari pulse from where she had it sheathed on her hip. The blade, she decided, was a lot like her. It could be used to destroy, like with the swordsman, but also to defend, like with Rinkah. It all depended on who wielded it, and who they fought for. It was a profound insight. The gift of Ganglari.

"... You may be right, Leo. You may be right."

* * *

 ** _End of Chapter 2..._**


	4. Chapter 3: The Journey Begins

_**Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 3: The Journey Begins**_

* * *

Caitlyn stood in front of the entrance to castle Krakenburg, nervously waiting for the servants to open up the doors. On the command of Garon, Caitlyn was waiting for her first mission from the king. She was both terrified and excited, both for the same reason. This was her first mission as a soldier of Nohr and she knew that Garon had high hopes for her.

"All right, Caitlyn. Deep breaths." She breathed a few times to help ease her racing heart. "This is father we're talking about. He wouldn't give you a mission that would be dangerous enough to kill me, right?"

Caitlyn shook her head as the voices from the other room began to quiet down. " _No! Stop thinking like that, just stay calm, and act like the princess you were raised._ "

She took one final breath as the voices ceased. "All right then. Deep breath, and..." the young princess stepped into the dark entrance way. The corpses had been cleared away and the rubble gathered into a pile near the centre, covering over the white aura. King Garon was nowhere in sight. She pointed to a side door and walked over to it. "This should be father's personal quarters. He's probably in here."

She knocked on the door. "Father? You wanted to talk to me about my first mission?"

They waited for a response, but none came. Caitlyn pouted. "Is he-"

"Gah haha ha!"

Caitlyn jumped back from the door, alarmed. She hadn't heard her father laugh in a long time. "Father?"

Before she could fully recover, the door began to open. "Hmph. Who's there?"

"It's Caitlyn, you asked to see me?"

The door opened the rest of the way and King Garon stood before her. Caitlyn was still curious and looked behind him, there didn't appear to be anyone else in the room. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Garon shook his head, face softening slightly. "No, it's fine. What do you need?"

Caitlyn cocked her head in confusion. "You did call me to your quarters to discuss my first mission, correct?"

He nodded, motioning for her to come in. "Let us discuss this behind closed doors. You may enter."

He stepped back into the room, allowing Caitlyn to enter. His chambers were spare, considering he was a king. An ornate bed, a framed picture of a woman Caitlyn didn't recognize, and a desk filled with paper of various royal decrees and a few maps covered in a familiar set of scribbles. Her father stood before her, hands behind his back.

"Caitlyn… After a few well-reasoned discussions with my strategist, Iago, we have decided that your first mission will be a simple scouting trip to the Bottomless Canyon."

"Th-The Bottomless Canyon?" She quivered. Caitlyn knew of the Bottomless Canyon from one of Leo's books. It was the one natural border between Nohr and Hoshido, and the name simply spoke for it.

Garon held up a hand. "Please, let me finish. Obviously, as my child, I am willing to give you some leeway on this matter. I can hardly blame you for your innocence, myself having had you raised in isolation. Nevertheless, I cannot have a soldier that falters under pressure, like beforehand. I have devised a task for you to complete, so as to prove your loyalty to me."

Caitlyn jumped at the chance. "Really?! What kind of task?"

Garon turned to a large map of the continent that covered much of one wall. He pointed to the large mountain range that designated the border between Nohr and Hoshido. "There is an abandoned fortress here, perched on the Hoshidan border. I wish to know if it is still serviceable. You will travel to the site and inspect the premises. With some luck, no battle will be required. Do you understand?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Yes, Father. I won't disappoint you."

"I hope so, Caitlyn. You are my daughter, and I very proud of your progress so far. All the same, I cannot allow any sort of failure. Not even for my own blood."

Caitlyn gulped. "Y... yes father. It shall be done as you command."

Garon turned away from his daughter and back to the painting of a woman. "I am glad. Now, leave me. I was deep in meditation before you interrupted." The King sat down on a stool and closed his eyes.

Caitlyn bowed and quickly left, quietly closing the door behind her. Once she exited Garon's room, she felt someone pull her aside and nearly sling her into the wall. After recovering from the initial shock, she turned around to see Elise standing a few feet away, a massive smile across her face. "Elise? Where did you-"

"I was outside listening through the door…" She admitted, her smile faltering for a moment before returning. "Sooo~, what did father talk to you about?"

"But I thought you said-"

"I said I was listening, I never said I knew what you two were talking about."

Caitlyn sighed and giggled, amused by her little sister's innocence and jovial personality. "Perhaps we should tell the others, otherwise we might be met with Camilla's rage once again."

"Good idea, come on!" She grabbed her by the sleeve again and pulled her along, Caitlyn grinning at her sister's seemingly boundless happiness.

* * *

Camilla wasn't exactly pleased about it. "Dearie, are you sure you're going to be OK out there? I don't like this... think of what might happen to you."

"Of course I'll be fine! Don't worry. It's just an abandoned fort."

Leo coughed. "You're acting rather casual about this, Caitlyn. Father does not assign simple tasks to his children, especially not one designed to earn back trust. There will be some complexity to it, rest assured."

Caitlyn tapped her foot, suddenly nervous. "Really...? Like what?"

Elise pouted at Leo. "That's enough, Leo! Don't be so worried all the time, sheesh. Don't try to scare Caitlyn before her first mission has even started."

Leo grumbled under his breath. "Fine, fine. It's not necessary to give me the pouty face, though. You know I can't say no to you when you do that."

Elise smiled brightly. "That's why I do it!"

Camilla was still deep in thought about the potential dangers of her brother's mission. Finally, she came to a decision. "I suppose I'll just have to come along. That's the only way I can know Caitlyn will be truly safe."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Iago, the royal adviser to King Garon, strode over to the royal party. Caitlyn had met him once before, as he had come along with Garon on one of his visits. He still had a chalk white complexion, with his black hair covered by a complicated metal headpiece denoting his place as head of the Dark Mages of Nohr. Camilla frowned at him.

"Why ever not, Iago?"

"Lady Camilla, King Garon intends this expedition as a test of Lady Caitlyn's loyalty. He would like to know whether Princess Caitlyn is worthy... After all, she IS a part of the royal lineage. Therefore, your assistance would simply muddy the results."

Caitlyn nodded. "Understood. Camilla, this is something that has to be done myself. Surely you understand?"

"Not all by yourself, Caitlyn." King Garon strode into the room, flanked by two guards as well as Gunter and Jakob. Iago bowed deeply as the King approached them. Caitlyn also gave a small bow herself.

"Father! I didn't see you there."

King Garon nodded, and gestured for Iago and Caitlyn to rise. "Rest assured, I do not intend to send you out there completely defenseless." He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards standing by him stepped forward. "This is Hans. He is a veteran warrior and will ensure no harm comes to you."

Hans dipped his head to Caitlyn. "Milady."

Caitlyn nodded back to the Berserker, still unsure about him. The man certainly looked capable, but with his bald head, violent eyes and vicious axe he also looked dangerous. Caitlyn decided to reserve judgement until she learned more about Hans. "Thank you, father."

"I also permit you to bring Gunter and your butler with you. With such powerful warriors in your group, I am sure you will be more than capable of making the journey and scouting the fortress. I send you with my blessing, take whatever you need from the storeroom. But be warned: Do not fail me. Best that you fall in battle than return to me in failure."

With that, King Garon strode out of the room and into his private chambers. Xander quickly pulled Caitlyn aside. "I'd be wary of Hans if I were you, Caitlyn."

Caitlyn peered over at Hans, who was talking to Gunter about something or another. The man looked amicable enough. "Why do you say that?"

"He's a criminal. A thief and a murderer. I arrested him myself many years ago. Father seems to think he's rehabilitated, but I'm not so sure. He is a powerful soldier, and will no doubt be useful to you, but all the same exercise caution around him."

Caitlyn nodded. "I see. Thank you for the advice, Xander." She stood up straight and walked over to Hans. "It's good to meet you, Hans. I hope we can work well together on this coming mission."

Hans stood still, scanning Caitlyn up and down, as if sizing her up. Finally, he nodded. "Likewise, Milady. Likewise."

Garon wanted the task completed as quickly as possible, so there had been no time for long goodbyes. Jakob had gathered his things together within the hour, and in two they were prepared to leave. Lilith had brought them their horses for the long journey to the border.

"Good luck, Caitlyn. Please do keep yourself safe." Lilith pulled a small vial from her apron and passed it to Caitlyn. "And I found this in the saddlebags on Roger's horse, I think this will help you more than him right now."

Caitlyn mounted the horse and nodded to Lilith, taking the small vial from her and putting it into her own tunic pocket. "Don't worry yourself, Lilith. Two weeks from now and I'll be back in Nohr. Everything will go fine."

Lilith eyed Hans, who was loading weapon after weapon onto his own horse. "... All the same, do be careful. I... would hate to see you come to harm."

"Thank you for your concern, Lilith. It's good to have a friend like you." She leaned down from her horse and gave her a hug around the shoulders. "See you soon."

Lilith smiled and pulled away. "Right. Do be careful."

* * *

With that, Caitlyn and her group were away on the trip to the Bottomless Canyon, where the abandoned fort lay. With favorable weather and road conditions, the journey could be made within eight days on horseback. Thankfully, the traditionally terrible Nohrian weather had a rare break, and they made it to the mountain range in only seven days. From there, it was a short trip down a narrow mountain pass, and then they were at the Bottomless Canyon.

Caitlyn slowed her horse to a halt as the colossal, gaping hole in the earth came into view. "Wow... this is it? The Bottomless Canyon?"

Gunter caught up with her and nodded. "Yes. It's the natural border between Nohr and Hoshido."

Caitlyn peered down into the darkness. "It can't really be bottomless, can it? I mean, I read the legends but..."

The knight shrugged. "Let the eternal darkness below be your answer. Those who fall in never return... I truly despise this place. Something about the land around here just isn't right. The sky here is always dark, and lightning strikes those who try to fly across on Pegasus or Wyvern. This is clearly a place us mortals were never meant to enter." He shuddered. "Normally we'd go around... But the fort that King Garon wants surveyed is right over there."

Caitlyn looked around the canyon. "Oh, it's not so bad. Just think, I could be sitting in the Northern Fortress doing nothing right now. Compared to that, this a holiday."

Gunter laughed. "That certainly puts things in perspective, milady. Come, let's proceed."

The duo waited for Hans and Jakob to catch up before continuing down to the very lip of the canyon. They followed it along its edge until the fortress came into view.

"Looks rather well looked after, for an abandoned fort." Jakob commented.

It did look like it had been recently repaired. In fact, Caitlyn could just make out a few guard towers that had been constructed from wood. They had to be new. The princess slowed her horse down. "This... doesn't seem right."

Jakob nodded. "Agreed, Lady Caitlyn. This fort appears lived in."

Then Gunter caught a glimpse of the banner being flown from the fort. The Hoshidan flag. Before he could point it out, a man dressed all in white wandered into view. A Hoshidan priest. "Blast! It looks like this place isn't as abandoned as we thought." Several more soldiers became visible, many of them carting weapons. "Why the devil is this place crawling with Hoshidan troops?"

Before any of them could retreat out of sight, A Hoshidan soldier with a spear stepped out from behind a rock no more than ten meters in front of them. "Halt! Do not advance any further, soldiers of Nohr."

Further down the canyon, the soldiers began to mobilize, taking up defensive positions. One began to cross the only bridge that linked one side of the canyon to the other that was nearby. "Crossing this bridge is a violation of our borders. Turn back at once, or we'll be forced to attack."

Jakob nervously drew a dagger from his vest. "What should we do?"

Caitlyn laid a hand on Jakob's shoulder, gesturing for him to drop the knife. "We didn't come here to fight. I suppose we'll have to turn back and report this development to father."

Gunter nodded. "Wise decision, Lady Caitlyn."

The trio began to back their horses away slowly, not wanting to aggravate the Hoshidans. Hans, however, stayed exactly where he was, staring intently at the fort.

"Come on, Hans. Let's not provoke them further." Caitlyn muttered.

In response, Hans slid down off his horse onto his feet. "We can take the fort."

"I'm sorry?"

"We can take this fort with our current numbers. I count seven soldiers guarding the bridge, and only four holding the fort. No need to run back to the King, we can capture this fort for him right here."

"That may be, Hans, but I'm not looking shed blood here today."

Hans turned around to face Caitlyn, a sneer on his face. "Foolish Princess! You truly believe King Garon will be merciful to either of us if we return empty handed?"

Caitlyn looked unsure of herself. "Well... perhaps..."

Hans snorted. "You're not the only one being tested today, little princess. I have no intention of going back to prison because of a squeamish lady." He drew his axe. "Here, let me make this decision easier for you."

Hans gave a battle cry, before running forward at the surprised spearman. He brought his axe up in a brutal uppercut, catching the Hoshidan under the jaw. The spearman was thrown backward, his mouth split open and bleeding. Hans stood over the Hoshidan for a second, before bringing the axe down in an executioner's swing. Blood spurted onto rocks, and Hans kicked the body over the edge of the Bottomless Canyon. "Gah! Die, you Hoshidan scumbags!"

The Hoshidan leader on the bridge let out a cry of rage. "You'll pay for this!"

Caitlyn got down from her horse and drew Ganglari. "Hans, what are you doing?! We had no reason to engage the troops!"

Hans shook his head. "Like I said, little Princess. You want to get back into your father's good books, then capturing the fort from these Hoshidans is the best way I can think of. Bah, go back empty handed if you want to be disowned. I will stay and fight, like any true soldier of Nohr would."

The Hoshidan leader pulled back from the bridge, rallying his troops around him. "Soldiers of Hoshido, hear me! Do not leave a single Nohrian alive!"

Gunter growled and lifted his lance up. "Argh! Looks like there's no getting out of this now. Get ready to fight, Lady Caitlyn."

The princess sighed and strode up to Jakob, Ganglari drawn and glaring at Hans. "You may be right, Hans. But know that there will be words once this is over."

"You won't survive this with a soft heart like that! Come on, charge the bridge."

Looking down the narrow rope bridge, Caitlyn could see a collection of archers, samurai and spearmen waiting. Gunter also surveyed it. "I'm afraid the enemy's position across that bridge may be impenetrable. We've got to look for another way across. Lady Caitlyn! Are there any Dragon Veins nearby we could use for a surprise attack?

Hans spat on the ground. "Less talk. More killing. For Nohr!" The Berserker charged down the bridge, axe at the ready. Gunter cursed.

"Damn fool! Bah, let him die if that is what he so desires. We must find another way across."

Caitlyn suspected Gunter was right. In a place such as this, surely there had to be a Dragon Vein somewhere, right? She began to run along the canyon, feeling out for any hints of draconic power. Jakob and Gunter keeping pace with her.

"I knew that Hans was vulgar, but to think he would endanger you like this... if he weren't our ally, I'd give him a piece of my mind" Jakob muttered.

Caitlyn opened her mouth to respond, but stopped once he felt the familiar nudge of concealed power that signaled a Dragon Vein nearby. Taking a few steps forward, she found himself right on the edge of the canyon, power surging under her feet. "There's a Dragon Vein here. Hold, just let me..."

The Princess of Nohr reached out her hand, which became wreathed in the by now familiar white light. Power was focused on the edge of this cliff and Caitlyn could feel the direction it wanted to move. She opened her hand and thrust her palm out, giving a conduit for the draconic energy to flow. The cliff underneath Caitlyn split itself apart, shattering into smaller chunks and rearranging itself to fit some new design. Rocks flew through the air, floating out in front of Caitlyn, beginning to fuse to other pieces near them. In mere moments, a bridge of solid rock had formed, connecting one side of the bottomless canyon to another- and leading them right to the fort.

The Hoshidan leader gasped in shock. "Gods! Did you see what happened to the cliff? Who are we dealing with here?"

Hoshidan soldiers from the fort started to rush for the new bridge, anxious to cut off the Nohrian soldiers. Caitlyn wasted no time.

"Gunter! Charge down the bridge and push away and troops at the end. Me and Jakob will follow behind you. Jakob, support Gunter by throwing knives at any Hoshidan you can reach. Get off this bridge as fast as possible, I don't know how long it can hold."

"Yes, milady!"

Gunter sent his horse into a gallop, driving it down the stone bridge at top speed. Jakob ran as fast as he could after him, holding a knife in each hand. Caitlyn hung back, wanting at act stay on the Dragon Vein until her friends were across. While she waited, she looked across to see Hans being driven back down the bridge by two swordsmen and an archer. She briefly considered helping, before deciding that if Hans got himself into the mess, he would have to get himself out of it.

Jakob hurled a knife at the closest spearman to the bridge, causing them to double over in pain and make them a perfect target for Gunter to trample over with his horse. The Samurai tried to cut at Gunter's horse, but the skilled knight deflected the blade with his lance and then skewered the Hoshidan through the chest, killing him instantly. The other nearby defenders backed away, unsure how to proceed next. Seeing that they were both across, Caitlyn left her position on the dragon vein and sprinted across. No sooner had she made it across then the stones dislodged, crumbling down into the never ending darkness of the canyon.

"Lady Caitlyn, what is out next move?" Jakob asked.

There were two more samurai guarding the entrance to the fort, as well as an archer. Their leader, who seemed to be a ninja, was guarding the door to the fort itself. Surely, they could manage to capture it. "Okay. Jakob, I want you to hit the archer with knives as many times as it takes to keep him down. Gunter, you and I will rush the samurai together, assisting each other as we need. Clear?"

Gunter nodded. "Yes, milady, but... You are aware that we must kill them if we want to stand a chance of taking the fort?"

Caitlyn squared her shoulders, raising Ganglari. "I understand. Go for crippling blows if we can, but if we must, we will kill them honorably. It is our lives or theirs, and we must make the hard choice."

"Well said, ma'am. Now, shall we?"

"Go!"

Gunter charged forward on his horse at the swordsman, Caitlyn in close pursuit. The knight hit them like a cannonball, trampling an unfortunate samurai who couldn't dodge out of the way in time. The other put all of his momentum into dodging Gunter's charge, and was therefore unable to avoid Caitlyn's attack. With a cry, the young princess swept Ganglari down diagonally, cutting almost right through the soldier's neck. She turned her head away as blood spurted down the sword and onto her face. Letting the body fall backwards, Caitlyn stepped forward and after Gunter, who was already going after the archer.

The archer had had the good sense to climb onto higher ground to steep for Gunter's horse to climb, forcing the knight to seek cover lest the knight be skewered by an arrow. Caitlyn pointed to the archer.

"Jakob! Attack the archer!"

The butler nodded. "Very well, Lady Caitlyn. I'll be out of knives at this rate!" The butler withdrew a knife in each hand, hurling one at the archer. His opponent dodged, but Jakob had already thrown his second which connected solidly into the archer's abdomen. The archer gasped, dropped his bow and collapsed forward. Caitlyn held her sword aloft, and the archer impaled themselves on it as they fell. With a final choke, the archer died. Withdrawing her blade, Caitlyn began to advance towards the Ninja guarding the fort.

The ninja growled at him as he approached. "Do you even realize what you've done here today? Hoshido won't stand for unprovoked attacks like this. Revenge will be ours!" He drew out several shuriken, holding them between his fingers. "And I shall start it! I am Omozu, ninja of Hoshido. You will die by my hand for what you have done!"

Caitlyn sighed. "I am sorry things have had to occur this way, Omozu. But I am under orders from my King, orders I cannot afford to disobey. May we both fight with honor." She indicated to Jakob and Gunter that they should stay back. Ganglari pulsed in her hand, feeling much more alive than it had in the capital.

"You'd do best not to lie to me, Nohrian scum! None of you fight with even the slightest shred of honor! Your attack here proves it. Now, no more talk. Come face your death!"

The ninja sprinted at Caitlyn, hurling three shuriken at her while still moving. Ganglari seemed to move of its own accord, swiping the deadly throwing stars out of the air before they could hit Caitlyn. Then Omozu was quickly upon her, slashing with the deadly shuriken in his fists. Caitlyn saw a glimmer of azure-coloured poison on the tips, and knew that if they hit her, she would not be able to fight for long. Thankfully, Ganglari felt lighter than ever in her hand, allowing her to deflect strikes from the ninja with ease. It almost felt like the blade was wielding itself.

After a few minutes of stalemate, Omozu grew tired of Caitlyn blocking his every move. He reached down to his belt and pulled out a smoke bomb, striking it against his arm gauntlets and throwing it to the ground. Noxious black smoke began to spew out of it, obscuring Caitlyn's view and causing her to cough uncontrollably. Omozu swiftly vanished from sight, but she could tell the ninja was still there, watching. Caitlyn swung her blade at a shape she thought to be her opponent, but it turned out to merely be a waft in the smoke.

"Where did you go?!" Caitlyn yelled.

Her answer was given to her in the form of a sharp prick against the back of her neck. "A ninja strikes from the shadows, where his foe least expects him. I will not do you the honor of dying in a straight duel."

Caitlyn swung her blade around behind her, but hit nothing but smoke. Already, Caitlyn felt an itch spread down from her neck to her shoulders, followed by numbness. Whatever poison Omozu had put into her, it acted fast. _'Grr… I'll never beat him at this rate!'_ Her eyes darted around the cloud, trying to pinpoint her target before the poison did any more damage. _'What did Roger say when fighting Ninjas? ...Right! Always swing in the opposite direction from where you think they are!'_ She gripped Ganglari with both hands. _'If I think he's to my left, the he'll be-'_

"-to my right!" She slashed upwards at an unknown shape and saw a small splatter of obscured blood fly upwards and a small object fall to the floor. Seeing this as a moment to get back on a level playing field, she stumbled and coughed her way to Gunter and Jakob, using the faint glimmer of their weapons as a guide.

The sound of hooves relieved her greatly. "Milady! Where are you?"

"Here! Follow my- URK!"

A handless arm was locked around her neck, choking her airway shut. "I cannot have that, Nohrian scum. You deserve to die here for what you have done."

Caitlyn kicked with her legs, but the ninja standing behind her held firm. Omozu clenched tighter. Caitlyn's breathing was getting thinner from a combination of the smoke and the arm constricting her airway. As a last resort, she pulled a trick Roger taught her a while ago, and put the heel of her foot into his nether regions. A dirty trick yes, but it caused Omozu to release her, it didn't however stop the smoke from finally choking her out and released Ganglari from her grasp as she fell into unconsciousness.

The young lady did not see what happened next, but Gunter, who had just caught sight of her charge, did. Before Ganglari had even hit the ground, it flew upwards completely of its own accord. As if held by an invisible hand, it dove down from the air and directly into Omozu's eye. With a crunch and splatter, it penetrated right through his head and out the other side of his skull. The ninja was dead before he even realized he had been stabbed. Falling backwards, a faint breeze blew through and cleared the smoke around Caitlyn, giving the princess vital air into her lungs. Gunter rode up to her and swiftly got off his horse, kneeling down next to Caitlyn.

"Lady Caitlyn, are you hurt?" No response. "Lady Caitlyn?" Gunter leaned down to check for breath. She was breathing normally, unconscious but alive. Breathing a sigh of relief, Gunter set his charge down on the ground. "Jakob! Get over here and assist Lady Caitlyn!"

"Coming! Just one moment!" Jakob called from nearby.

"Hurry, she may have been poisoned!"

The butler quickly made his way as the smoke finally cleared, kneeling down and pulling out his healing stave. "This is all my fault. I should have kept closer to her, shouldn't have let her fight that ghastly ninja by herself."

Gunter shook his head. "My fault as much as yours, my friend. Now please, heal her."

Jakob held the stave out over Caitlyn, sending his limited magical ability through it. The highly potent wood the stave was carved of did the rest, pouring pure healing energy right into Caitlyn. With a gasp, the young princess sat bolt upright and began to cough violently.

"Ack! Gah!" She kept coughing and spitting out smoke residue until she got her breath back. "Jakob? What happened?"

"You were poisoned, Lady Caitlyn. Thankfully, I was nearby with my stave or you would have been much worse off."

The smoke around them had just finished clearing, and Caitlyn stood back up. The fort was now open to them. "Thank you both for your help, truly. But we need to take the fort now, before reinforcements arrive."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that." A voice spoke from the shadows.

Caitlyn jumped and spun around, realizing that Ganglari was still embedded in Omozu's skull. Jakob stepped in front of her, a recovered and bloodstained dagger held in a combat stance. Caitlyn peered around him. "Who goes there?"

From behind one of the sparse trees that littered the canyon, a man dressed in black deep blue stepped out. His face was obscured by a cloth, only his eyes and dark red hair visible. "You're the leader of these troops? Pah. You're nothing more than a girl."

Caitlyn reached behind her, grasping a hold of Ganglari. "Who are you?"

The man stepped forward, bringing a short blade out from his leather armor. "My name is Saizo. I've come to claim your life."

Caitlyn suddenly noticed several Pegasus flying in from the distance, and a few other concealed figures creeping towards them. "Everyone! We're still under attack!"

Saizo growled as he saw the corpse of Omozu. "Nohrian scum! Destroy them!"

More than a dozen ninjas burst from various concealed positions, all of them armed. Saizo dashed behind a rock, no doubt looking for a way to ambush them. The Pegasi grew closer, some of them already bringing up javelins to throw. Seeing the opposition, Caitlyn made her decision.

"Fall back! Try to lose them in the pass!"

Gunter and Jakob couldn't agree more. The three of them turned and fled from the approaching Hoshidan horde, shurikens flying past their heads. The pegasus would not dare try to cross the canyon, not with the natural lightning phenomena, but they would be carrying more troops. It would be bad news if they didn't leave quickly. The ran along the Bottomless Canyon headed for the bridge. The mission had quickly descended into complete chaos. Behind them, the ninjas gave up on hiding and instead broke into a sprint after them, Saizo at their lead.

"Lady Caitlyn, we cannot hope to outrun them!" Jakob shouted. He turned, a dagger in each hand. "I will try to stall them. Gunter, I require you to assist Lady Caitlyn in making his exit."

The stalwart knight nodded, and before Caitlyn knew what was happening Gunter had swept her up onto the back of her horse, galloping away at full speed. "Wait, Jakob, what are you doing! Stop! Gunter, slow down! We have to go back for him!"

Gunter held the princess tightly. "Milady, myself and Jakob serve the crown. And he has chosen to die for it. Your safety is top priority now."

The ninjas fell upon Jakob, who stood firm and had a good chance with his recovered daggers. The butler drove one of his daggers into one Ninja unfortunate enough to let his guard down. The other ninjas stopped their charge, cautiously looking at Jakob, who smiled and pulled one final knife from his boot. " **I think it's time to TAKE OUT THE TRASH!** "

Then the man dressed all in black made his move. Barely even visible, Saizo drove a shuriken into Jakob's stomach and kicked him over the edge of the Bottomless Canyon. A look of total shock spread across the butler's face. "Dash it all..." He gasped, before vanishing from sight in the inky blackness.

Caitlyn screamed. " **NOOOOO! JAKOB!** " She struggled to dismount from the horse, but Gunter held her fast. "Gunter, let go of me! I have to help Jakob!"

Gunter did not release his charge. "Be silent, Caitlyn. Jakob has given his life for you, and I will not have you waste his sacrifice by throwing your life away. Above all else, you will live through this."

Caitlyn felt the tears flow down her face. She buried her head in Gunter's chest plate, sobbing at the sheer injustice of it all. Gunter reached the bridge, however the first Pegasus Knight had touched down, depositing a Samurai who immediately gave chase. With one hand holding Caitlyn and one on the reigns, it took all of Gunter's concentration to keep his horse moving straight along the narrow and rickety bridge. The Samurai ran onto the bridge after him, closely followed by Saizo. The Great Knight was not worried. He had confidence that his horse would far outrun the Hoshidans chasing him. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the far side of the bridge. Did any enemies lie in wait there as well? He could see their horses, still faithfully waiting for them, but no foes. Gunter let out a sigh of relief.

Then Hans stood up from where he lay on the ground.

The berserker was covered in blood, cuts, and his left arm was broken. Strewn around him were the broken bodies of the Hoshidan soldiers that had tried to end him. Hans had killed every enemy on the bridge, and nearly died doing so. He opened the one eye he still could and saw Gunter charging down the bridge, followed by an army of Hoshidan soldiers. Hans knew he couldn't fight them. He also knew that he was in no state to ride a horse. He knew what he had to do.

"Heh. Sorry, old man."

He lifted his axe above his head and slammed it onto the supports for the rope bridge. One of the ropes holding it up snapped. With a grunt of pain, he cut into it using his axe. Again. Again. Again. The second support snapped. Gunter saw what he was trying to do.

" **HANS! What you are doing is treason!** "

Hans grinned, the freshly broken teeth glinting in the moonlight. "Yeah. But you won't be around to tell anyone." He slammed his axe down one last time, splintering the final support rope. With a groan of age, the rope bridge detached from his side.

" **HAAAANS!** " Gunter screamed, his voice full of hate.

The bridge began to fall, already sending Gunter into free fall. Thinking as quickly as he could, the knight threw Caitlyn from his horse towards the edge. With a sinking heart, he realized it wouldn't be enough. Both knight and princess fell into the Bottomless Canyon, from which no living soul had ever returned.

Saizo had the reflexes and strength to grasp a hold of the falling rope bridge as it collapsed. Some of his fellow Hoshidans were not so lucky, and they simply fell into the canyon after the Nohrian soldiers. The bridge completed its arc and smashed into the other side of the canyon. With a grunt, Saizo began to climb the dangling rope bridge like a ladder. They couldn't fly across, and the only bridge for miles had been destroyed. He kicked the side of the canyon. One of the Nohrian scum would be getting away.

On the other side of the canyon, Hans grimaced. It would take a very good excuse to explain how he lived while Caitlyn died. The King had assigned him as a protector, after all. He had no grudge against the lass- it was just that when it came down to it, his life was always first priority. It probably didn't make him a very good soldier. Hans didn't care. Honor was for the dead. He would go on living.

* * *

Caitlyn almost blacked out as she fell. She had been hardly aware of the situation, curled up against Gunter and mourning Jakob. So when the bridge had fallen out from under them, she had no idea what was going on. Then Gunter was gone, and she was floating alone in the blackness. With no light to guide her, she began to lose all sense of movement. All she could feel was the energy pulse from Ganglari, getting more and more powerful. Caityn curled up in the inky void, tears still dripping from her eyes.

"Jakob... Gunter... Why did you have to leave me too..." She wept.

Caitlyn wondered how long it would take for her to hit the bottom. Perhaps it truly was bottomless, and she would fall forever in this black void. Slightly dark void. What? Caitlyn turned her head. The void seemed lighter somehow. Turning further, she was almost blinded by a brilliant orb of light that fell towards her like a star.

"My kin, my gods, my blood... Dragons grant me strength! Great Moro, I beseech you!"

Caitlyn recognised the voice that called out in the dark. "Lilith?"

The light grew overwhelmingly bright, banishing the darkness entirely. Looking at the centre, Caitlyn could make out the silhouetted figure of Lilith, getting closer and closer. The closer it got, the more she changed, her legs shortening, arms shrinking, head fusing into her body. She became smaller, her hands links into fins. As Lilith reached her, she did not recognize her. She resembled a lizard crossed with a fish, bearing red and blue patterns on her skin. Before Caitlyn had any time to consider what was going on, the strange being wrapped its arms around her.

"Give me the power to save this kin of my kin!"

The light increased in brightness, forcing Caitlyn to clench her eyes closed. She felt her stomach do a flip, and she felt a sudden sense of vertigo. Then Lilith released her, and she felt herself fall back onto soft, earthen ground. Breathing in the much warmer air, Caitlyn opened her eyes.

The first thing that she noticed was that the sky was red, streaked through with orange. It looked like one of the surrealist paintings that Camilla had shown her on some of her visits. She wondered where exactly she was. Sitting up, she saw she was lying on a patch of thick green grass. Just to her left was a large wall, the kind that would be used on a fortress. Looking further, she saw that it extended all the way around her, forming a large walled in area. Was this what lay at the bottom of the canyon?

"Lady Caitlyn... I knew this day would come eventually."

Caitlyn spun around on the ground, facing behind her. With a gasp, she saw the strange creature that had grasped her in the canyon. It lay on top of a crystal ball, floating just above the ground. Yet, it spoke with Lilith's voice.

"Lilith... is that you?"

The being nodded its head sedately. "Yes. It's me."

Caitlyn stood up, shocked. "But... what ARE you, exactly." She squinted her eyes for a second. "And why are you so cute-looking?"

Lilith sighed, and turned away from her. "Well, as you may have guessed, I'm not human. I hever have been." She paused. "To answer the second question, I am still quite young."

"Well yes, I can see that much." Caitlyn was suddenly struck by how similar Lilith looked to the paintings of the younger Dragons she had seen in books. "Are... are you a dragon?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. An Astral Dragon. This is one of the many forms I can take."

Caitlyn rubbed her head, still woozy from her sudden journey. "But... how? How have have I known you my whole life as a human?"

Lilith closed her eyes, and in a bright flash of light vanished. In her place, a small swallow fluttered. "Do you remember the bird you saved when you were young?"

She cast her mind back to infancy, the earliest memories she had. Finding an injured bird on her windowsill, practically frozen solid from the cold winds. She had nursed it back to health over the course of a week, and set it free once the storm cleared. "That was you?"

With another flash, the Lilith that Caitlyn was familiar with stood before her, dressed in her servant uniform. "It was. Once I recovered, I took human form and applied to be a servant at the northern fortress. You were so kind to me, and I was so far from my kin, that I decided it was as good a place as any to create a new life. You were my first friend in many years. My only friend."

Caitlyn reached out to Lilith. "And here I thought that I was the lonely one. Come here, Lilith." The young princess stepped forward and embraced the Astral Dragon. "Thank you for watching over me all these years. I suppose you were the deer who led me home when I got lost as a child?"

Lilith smiled. "I'm surprised you still remember that. Are you... mad?"

Caitlyn released Lilith, grinning calmly. "Mad? Why would I be angry with you? You, and Astral Dragon, sacrificed years of your life to watch over me. I'm so grateful."

"... It gladdens my heart to hear you say that, Lady Caitlyn."

Caitlyn turned a full circle, taking in the spectacle of the strange land he found herself in. "But now I have so many questions! How did you find us? What is is this place?" She suddenly recalled her last few minutes in the Bottomless Canyon. "Where is Gunter? Jakob?"

Lilith sighed, looking away in shame. "I... could not let you go alone. I sensed a bad omen of your coming journey, so I took the form of a bear and followed you on foot. I had just caught up with you at the canyon when I saw you fall in. And I... I'm sorry, but I could only save you. Gunter had fallen much deeper than you had, and if I went any deeper I ran the risk of not being able to pull you out at all."

Caitlyn collapsed to her knees, clenching her fists. "Jakob... Gunter... They're gone. They're both gone?"

"Jakob, I am unsure of, but Gunter is gone, Caitlyn. I'm so sorry."

Caitlyn yelled in pain. "AGHHHH! Gods damn it!" She punched the ground. More tears forming in her eyes. "Damn it!"

Lilith knelt down next to her, holding a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Caitlyn. I should have been faster."

The princess of Nohr sniffled and sighed. "No. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. They sacrificed themselves, and for what? A foolish princess who can't even serve her King properly. Why didn't they live where I died?" She fell back onto her rear and entered the fetal position. "At least Jakob is still out there… possibly"

"... I cannot give you the answers you seek, Lady Caitlyn. All I can do is offer you this astral plane as a place of rest, for as long as you require."

* * *

After Caitlyn had shed her tears, she fell asleep on the grass, exhausted from the day's events. Lilith reached out into the astral plane and summoned a blanket to cover her, before taking her dragon form and curling up on her crystal ball to sleep. Lilith had complete control over the miniature world, which rested within the crystal ball she lay on. It served as a retreat from the outside world, a place where time flowed differently to the outside world. Once, it had been filled with hundreds of Dragons. Now, it was merely an empty field.

Caitlyn had no idea how long she slept. Perhaps a few hours, perhaps a few days. All she knew was that when sshe awoke from a dreamless sleep, she was refreshed and invigorated. Pushing aside the blanket laid over her, She sat up on the grass.

"How are you feeling, Caitlyn? I know this is a lot to take in."

Caitlyn blinked her eyes, still red from tears. "I feel... better. Thank you, Lilith. For being there for me yesterday."

"That's what I'm here for, Lady Caitlyn. Think of this realm as your personal retreat, for whenever the outside world becomes too rowdy. I often took a few moments to meditate in here myself when I grew especially weary."

"Thank you for sharing it with me. But, I must return to reality now. I must report back to father about what has happened at the fort..." The surge of emotions threatened to resurge, but she choked them down. "Do you know where the way out is?"

Lilith gestured with one of her stubby dragon arms to a crystal ball that sat on a pedestal on one of the walls, inside a small marque. "I took the liberty of setting it up while you slept. To return, simply touch it and you will be back at the edge of the Bottomless Canyon. There is just one thing you should know before you go back. When the portal is opened, you will return to the same location you came from. That means you'll arrive back near the fort. There may be soldiers lying in wait for you."

Caitlyn laid a hand on Ganglari, which was still sheathed at her hip. "I understand. I'll be ready for them."

Lilith nodded. "I will also travel back with you. It would do no good for people to know my true nature, so I will follow in the form of a swallow. If ever you require my help in battle or access to this castle, then call for me and I will come."

She began to walk towards the crystal ball. "Okay. Thank you for everything you've done for me, Lilith. I only hope I can one day repay you for all your kindness."

Lilith giggled. "Trust me, Caitlyn. You already have."

Caitlyn reached out and laid his palm against the crystal ball. She decided to take Gunter's words to heart. Potentially Jakob and the Great Knight himself had given up their lives for her. The most she could do in return is return to Nohr and ensure Hans faced justice. With a flash of bright silver light, the soothing orange sky was replaced by the dark grey of the Bottomless Canyon. Quickly taking in her surroundings, she saw that she was on the Hoshidan side of the canyon.

"Not good. I'll have to find a Dragon Vein to get across."

She closed her eyes and reached out with her hand, searching for any hints of power. She became so involved in her search, that she didn't notice the dark skinned savage wielding a club come up behind her.

"You're mine, Nohrian!"

Caitlyn had just enough time to turn around before Rinkah hit her over the head with the flat of her club. The princess collapsed, unconscious. As the flame princess began to drag her away to where Kaze waited for her, Lilith watched from a distance. For a moment, she considered interfering. With the element of surprise, she could take out Rinkah and Kaze, then help her return to Nohr quickly. With a sigh, she decided against it. Caitlyn may not like her for it, but there was one more key piece of information that she needed. And the Hoshidans would certainly give it to her.

The time had come for Caitlyn to learn the truth about her past. The truth, about her family.

* * *

 ** _End of Chapter 3..._**


	5. Chapter 4: Hoshido

_**Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 4: A Hoshidan Reunion**_

* * *

Caitlyn awoke slowly, her head still feeling heavy from the blow. Her vision swam for a few moments as she opened her eyes, but it eventually settled on the crackling flames she had been lain in front of. The bonfire was large, unconstrained, burning freely with seemingly no fuel to keep it alight. Caitlyn wondered if she was still dreaming.

"Ah, you're awake."

Caitlyn turned her head to face the new voice. Sitting on a log seat, with her club right within reach, was Rinkah of the flame tribe. "Sorry about the bump on your head."

"It's you! From the Flame Tribe, right?" Caitlyn looked around her. They seemed to be at the centre of a large collection of thatch huts, all of which encircled this endless flame. A few people dressed similarly to Rinkah wandered between them, going about their business. 'Where are we?"

Rinkah leaned back so she could reach her club easier. "Yes, I am Rinkah. This is a Flame Tribe village, well within Hoshidan territory. Don't try anything you'll regret."

Caitlyn sat up properly. Her head ached, her mouth felt dry and Ganglari was not at her side. She was surprised to find she was not bound in any way. "What's going to happen now?"

Rinkah shrugged, poking the flames with her club. "I was going to hand you over to the Hoshidan authorities once they arrive here-"

Caitlyn's heart sank. A princess of Nohr, having just attacked a Hoshidan fort? "I see. I suppose they'll want to hear an explanation for the unprovoked attack. And then they'll probably execute me." The young princess had grown up on stories about what Hoshidans did to prisoners. Those captured by ninjas were said to meet a particularly gruesome end. "I guess everything was in-"

Rinkah snapped her fingers to get Caitlyn's attention. "I wasn't finished. I was going to say I got talked out of it," She pointed to someone by the largest thatch hut. "By him."

Caitlyn cocked her head in curiosity. "Who in the gods name are you talking about?" She turned around and felt her heart skip a beat. His hair was slightly longer, and he bore a brand new set of lacquer Samurai armor, but she recognized his colour palate and eyes from anywhere. It was Roger, looking much healthier and happier than ever. "Roger!"

"Huh?" He turned around and saw Caitlyn. "Caitlyn?!"

She rushed over and wrapped her arms around his chest, their armor clunking together from the impact. Surprised by the sudden action, Roger didn't know what to do. He just stood there as Caitlyn slowly crushed his ribs from her hug, and he felt a small wet spot on his shirt forming where her head was placed. She was crying. After another few moments, Caitlyn let go and stared Roger in the eyes before slap- no, punching him in the face.

"Ow! The hell was that for?!"

"That was for leaving! You scared me to death!"

He rubbed his cheek as a norticable red mark was left from Ciatlyn's blow. "Then I assume the hug was to say, "I'm happy you're okay and I'm over-joyed to see you again"?" Caitlyn blushed slightly. "I'll take that as a definitive yes." His gaze shifted to Rinkah as she walked over with two rucksacks. "Time to go?"

The Flame Princess nodded. "Yes. It's time to go. It's a short walk from here to the meeting point."

Roger took the second bag and slung it over his shoulders. "Then lead the way."

Caitlyn followed after Rinkah and Roger, confused. Where was the malice, the gloating she had expected from the fiery warrior she had defeated before? Rinkah spoke to her with an almost respectful tone, and for some reason she trusted Roger, even though he was HALF NOHRIAN. Her whole demeanor had changed. She led her past the houses and out to a large wooden wall that went from one side of the narrow valley they were in to the other. A guard nodded to her.

"Taking them out, Rinkah?"

She nodded. "Yes. Tell my father I'll be escorting them to the capital myself."

The guard held a fist over his heart. "As you say, princess. Do be careful." He opened a small door in the wall, revealing a narrow mountain pass that descended downwards. Rinkah and Roger stepped through, and Caitlyn decided she had no choice but to follow them. Stepping out of the village, she felt the cold press against him. So, they were still up in the mountain range, then. If she made a break for it, could she escape Rinkah? Get back to the Canyon, cross over? Hang on a minute, she thought. I'll just call for Lilith. She should be able to help me and get Roger out of here with me.

" _Lilith!_ " She whispered. " _Please, help! Get me out of here!_ "

From the side of the valley wall, Lilith watched as Caitlyn was led away by Rinkah, still whispering under her breath for help. She could hear her, and it broke her heart to ignore her plea. But she needed to know the truth before she could move forward in her life. It was bad enough that she hadn't told her herself. Still... this was something that came best from the lips of those involved. Rinkah and definitely Roger would see that she got there safely.

"What are you muttering?" Rinkah demanded.

Caitlyn shut her mouth and looked up at her. "Er... prayers to the Dusk Dragon. Not that it'll do much good in Hoshido."

Rinkah narrowed her eyes at her, but kept walking. "I'm not going to kill you, I promised your friend that, so relax. I'm just bringing you to Shirasagi. The queen herself wants to meet you."

Queen Mikoto!? Caitlyn had heard of her. She held up the magical barrier that kept Nohr from mounting a full invasion of Hoshido. What did she want with her? "Why?"

"It's not my place to say. Now come, we have a long way to travel."

* * *

They descended down to a lower peak before meeting with two others. The first, Caitlyn recognized immediately. "We meet again. Kaze, right?"

Kaze nodded. "Yes. It is most fortunate Rinkah found you again, Princess Caitlyn." The ninja dipped his head and got down onto his knees, bowing respectfully to the Nohrian princess.

Caitlyn stared at Kaze with shock. "What? You are?" She looked over to Rinkah. "Am I missing something? What's going on?"

Kaze stood, keeping his hands respectfully folded behind his back. "Please, come with me. Everything will be explained in time."

Caitlyn hesitated, she looked at Roger for a second, and he simply nodded his head to follow Kaze and Rinkah. This was her last chance to make a break for it. If they really didn't want to kill her, she could potentially make it out if she was lucky. But... there were three of them now, and possibly four if Roger trusted these three. If they wanted to take her, they could very well knock her out. And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what was going on here. If this was an execution, it was certainly the most convoluted she had seen. "Very well. How do you intend to travel?"

Kaze nudged the cloaked figure next to him. "Orochi. Are you prepared?"

The third Hoshidan drew her hood back, revealing a woman with purple hair ornately styled in traditional Hoshidan fashion. "I am. The warp is ready. And I can't wait to get off this mountain, the cold doesn't do much for my complexion." She held out a hand. "Grab a hold of me, Princess Caitlyn."

Hesitantly, Caitlyn accepted her grip. Kaze took her other hand, Rinkah grasped his and Roger held Caitlyn's hand. Closing her eyes, the Hoshidan diviner muttered a few words. Sigils began to float around her, forming into patterns and shapes. Finally, she opened her eyes, ablaze with energy. "Warp!"

The five of them vanished from the mountain in a flash of yellow energy, leaving only their footprints behind. Caitlyn was officially out of Nohr. Hoshido awaited her.

The next thing Caitlyn knew, she was standing in front of a pink tree. Letting go of Orochi and Roger's hands with a gasp, she stumbled back as she looked around her. Sunlight streamed down from the sky, practically blinding Caitlyn with its intensity. She was used to grey and dark, not the purity she found here. The garden around them was full of color, with the cherry blossom trees, orange flowers, bright green grass and clear water streams. The air, as well, seemed somehow more clear than the heavy and cold atmosphere of Nohr.

"Is... is this Hoshido?"

Kaze stepped up beside her. "Do you recognize anything?"

Caitlyn turned a full circle, squinting at the bright light. "I... No, not really. Everything here is so different to what I'm used to."

The ninja nodded. "Hm. When you are ready, please follow me. I am sure Queen Mikoto would like to see you as soon as possible." He turned to Roger. "Roger, you are free to do what you wish now."

"Aaand~ that would be spending time with my Princess," Caitlyn turned to him in surprise. "What? You remember my promise."

"A promise?" Kaze glanced between them. "Do tell."

"It was the day I met Cait, when King Garon requested me to train and guard her. I still remember the words," Roger cleared his throat and recited the exact words from that day. " _No matter what befalls me, I shall always be by your side. I shall be the shield that protects you. I shall be the star who guides your journey, and I shall finally be the being you may rely on, no matter the scenario._ "

Caitlyn was barely listening to Roger and Kaze, instead, she wandered away and explored the gardens in awe. Hand carved statues gave the place an ethereal beauty, and fountains sprayed jets of pure water in fascinating paths. She had told Kaze the truth, none of it seemed familiar to her. And yet... when she closed his eyes, breathed in the smell of fresh blossoms, it brought to her such a sense of nostalgic peace. Perhaps she had been to Hoshido once before? Back when she was a child, before they were at war. Shaking her head, she turned to face Kaze.

"Okay. I'm ready to see the Queen."

"Alright then. Let's continue."

The Ninja once again bowed and gestured for Roger and Caitlyn to follow him. Rinkah walked off, her part in the matter done. When Orochi was ready, she would warp her back. Caitlyn and Roger followed Kaze through a pair of sliding doors, which seemed to be made of paper. While they did look pretty, Caitlyn wondered why the doors to their castle were so weakly made. After following Kaze in silence for a few minutes, she found herself in a great hall. It was similar in size and function to the one in castle Krakenburg, but was different in every other way. It was adorned in all manner of decoration, from the banners adorning the walls to the paper lanterns that gave it light. Sunlight streamed in through painted glass windows, lighting up the room in unfamiliar bright sunlight. Caitlyn was so caught up in examining the room that she didn't notice the tall man in red armor approach her.

"Welcome back, Kaze. Good work." His gaze shifted to Roger. "And I believe I forgot to thank you as well, Kagero, Saizo and myself do thank you for saving Kaze, Lord Dazuachi."

"Lord who?" Caitlyn asked.

"Remember the fact that I said that I was half Nohrian and half Hoshidan?" Caitlyn nodded. "Well, while my father was Commander Xavier Marren, and my mother was Aiya Dazuachi, one of the Nestran Playwright and Performer." He pulled his amber and silver necklace from his tunic. "This was her parting gift after I had to be sent to Nohr, and later on I learned that I was her only heir after her passing." He hid it back under his tunic. "And from that, I became the sole heir to the Dazuachi name, along with its power."

"So you're technically a noble in both continents?"

"In an unofficial way, yes." He turned back to the red armored man. "Apologies for the interruption Lord Ryoma."

Ryoma simply chuckled. "There is no need for apologies, just make sure to keep it short."

That name caught Caitlyn's attention. "Did... did you just say Lord Ryoma?"

Kaze nodded. "He did, this is the high prince of Hoshido, Lord Ryoma."

Caitlyn felt herself shrink down a little. Ryoma was next in line for the Hoshidan throne, and said to be a great warrior on the battlefield. Xander had once told her about a brutal fight the two had had in a battle, describing him as the most fearsome warrior he had ever faced. If the prince was here to meet her, it didn't bode well. Caitlyn frowned as the man continued to simply stare at her.

"Well? What are you waiting for? If you're going to execute me, please get on with it."

Ryoma shook his head and smiled. "There will be no killing, Caitlyn. It is good that you were able to come to us today."

Caitlyn sighed. "Will somebody please stop beating around the bush and tell me what is going on? As a prisoner of war, I have the right to know what I stand accused of."

With a creak, the sliding door at the far end of the hall opened and a regal figure stepped through. Caitlyn knew at once that it had to be Queen Mikoto. She looked exactly as she had envisioned her, despite having never seen any pictures of her while at the castle. Her eyes scanned across the room, before locking onto her. Caitlyn prepared for the worst, but when she looked the Queen in her eyes, rather than seeing hate and anger in them, she instead saw relief and... love?

"I cannot believe it is really you..." She whispered. She began to quickly stride across the room, getting closer to her.

Caitlyn blinked. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

Queen Mikoto apparently hadn't heard her. "Oh, I've missed you so much! Come here, Caitlyn, my sweet child!" Before Caitlyn could respond, she closed the gap between them and threw her arms around her, enveloping her in a tight hug. Caitlyn froze up, having not expected this situation in the slightest.

"I... I'm sorry, what?"

She pushed the Queen away, stepping back from both Ryoma and Mikoto. Surely, she thought, I've misunderstood. This is some Hoshidan custom to greet visitors. Perhaps she's just being friendly. She can't possibly actually mean that.

Queen Mikoto reached out to her. "Oh, I'm sorry for surprising you like that. It's just... been so long. So long since I've seen you."

Caitlyn took another step back, her mind ablaze. "Have we met before?"

Queen Mikoto fell silent, a look of shock across her face. Clearly, it had never occurred to her that Caitlyn would not have recognized her on sight. After a few moments of silence, she withdrew her hand. "You... do not remember me? It is I, Mikoto. Your mother."

Caitlyn froze. No denying it. The Queen of Hoshido thought she was her mother. But that was wrong. Wrong. It had to be. Garon is my father. I am a princess of Nohr. There had to be a mix up. "I- I'm no Hoshidan! King Garon is my father. Please, don't mistake me for whoever you are searching for!"

Mikoto drooped visibly. "It seems Nohr has stolen much from me. I had hoped that you would remember me, but it seems that after all this time it was unreasonable to expect that. Caitlyn... My poor Caitlyn. I have so much to tell you."

As much as Caitlyn wanted to deny everything, she couldn't help but feel an itch in the back of her mind. Half remembered scraps. The garden outside. A man in white, standing ahead of her. And most of all, the face of Queen Mikoto. She had seen her before. She was sure of it. "... I don't understand. My whole life, I've been in Nohr. How can I be your daughter?"

Queen Mikoto shook her head violently. "Not your whole life! You were born a Princess of Hoshido, my child. You grew up here, among the gardens and the castle and alongside your siblings. You had just turned six when King Garon called for the 'peace talks'."

The garden. Queen Mikoto. Siblings... there had been another girl. Red hair. It was at the back of her mind, bubbling and brewing, so long repressed. Seeing the look on her face, Queen Mikoto continued.

"Your father decided to bring you along. She thought it would be good for you to experience some matters of Queenship, seeing as you were a princess. But... he was betrayed. King Garon never had any hopes for peace! No sooner had they sat down than he had Sumeragi killed!" Queen Mikoto became quite emotional, turning away from Caitlyn and holding a hand to her face. Ryoma laid a hand on his mother's shoulder, comforting her. He continued the story.

"He murdered our father in cold blood. Declared war on Hoshido. And then, to make matters even worse, he took you from Cheve. In the confusion, he slipped away to Nohr with you. You were lost to us. That day, mother lost her daughter and I... I lost a sister."

Caitlyn cradled her head in her hands. "No, no, no... Xander is my older brother! Leo, Elise and Camilla are my siblings! Garon is my father! You're all wrong! You have to be."

A brief flicker of anger passed across Ryoma's face at the mention of Xander. "The Nohrian royals, correct? They are not your real family. You were my younger sister. You and our sister, Hinoka, were close friends as a child. Surely you remember Takumi, your brother? You and him used to fight all the time." Ryoma took a step towards Caitlyn. "You really don't remember any of this? Not even a single memory?"

Caitlyn shot her head up. "NO! I don't remember any of you! Stop telling me things like I should know what you're talking about!"

Silence reigned in the hall for a few tense moments after her outburst. Queen Mikoto regained her composure, smiling at Caitlyn. "I understand. Sorry for putting so much on you at once, Caitlyn. I understand this must be an impossible amount of information to bear all at once. Please, stay with us here at Shirasagi. Your sisters, Hinoka and Sakura will return soon. In time, I think you might remember more. Please... just give us a chance."

Her heartfelt plea drew Caitlyn out of her frustration. She did feel... something. Vague flashes, like a stone lying at the bottom of a lake, shimmering and ethereal. Maybe, in time, she might remember more. If even half of what her 'mother' claimed was true, then she had to know. King Garon, kidnapping her? Elise wouldn't have known. Maybe not Camilla. But Leo, probably, and Xander, definitely. They called her their sister, but they always knew. Always knew she wasn't a true daughter of Nohr. She wasn't sure she could handle a betrayal of that size. She had to know the truth.

"... I apologize. You're just trying to find your daughter again. But... right now... I don't remember any of you clearly. I'll stay. At least until I remember the truth."

Queen Mikoto smiled brightly. "That's all I ask of you, Caitlyn. And even if you never remember us, know this: I love you, my daughter. I always will, no matter where you may go."

Caitlyn turned her head away, embarrassed. Elise had told her that she loved her, but she saw so little of her. With Camilla there was never any doubt, but she couldn't help but feel very awkward whenever she did. She knew that Xander and Leo did, too, but they had surely never told her in words. King Garon remained far too aloof for any kind of intimacy. Cailyn could feel the affection in Queen Mikoto's words. It was unfamiliar to Caitlyn. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"I... thank you. Wh-"

Before Caitlyn could even finish, the doors to the hall were pushed open. A man dressed in ornate gold samurai gear stepped into the room. Queen Mikoto frowned.

"What is it? I would prefer not to be disturbed right now."

The man bowed deeply. "I apologize profusely, my Queen, but I have an urgent message for Lord Ryoma."

The warrior prince of Hoshido stepped forward. "Very well. Speak."

"We're under attack from the North! Faceless have attacked the village of Illya, and are quickly overrunning it."

Ryoma's eyes widened. "No! Hinoka and Sakura are in that region!"

The Samurai nodded. "Yes, milord. I've been told they're helping to evacuate the villagers."

Ryoma nodded, a look of pure steel in his eyes. "Very well. I will personally assure this assault on our borders is repelled." He turned to Caitlyn. "Caitlyn, will you come with me? I want you to see this with your own eyes." He then turned to Roger. "And perhaps Lord Dazuachi would like to, as he said, "have a little brutal fun"?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Roger laughed. "So, Cait, you coming with?"

Caitlyn gestured to herself. "Me? How can you trust me? I killed so many Hoshidans at the border, how can I be allowed to come?"

Ryoma shook his head. "From what I understand, it is likely King Garon wanted that fort one way or another. They died protecting it, and that is what they desired. I, and everyone in the Hoshidan army, would be more than willing to move past the incident. You did not know what you were doing then, Caitlyn. You did not know the truth. Now, let me show you the rest of it."

Caitlyn glanced at Queen Mikoto, who nodded. "Go, Caitlyn. Ryoma and Lord Dazuachi will watch over you. Go and see how Nohr rewards our peacefulness."

The prince nodded. "Very well. Will we be going by ourselves?"

Caitlyn was amused to see Ryoma actually considered attacking a horde of Faceless with just him and Roger. "No. Kaze, will you come with us?"

The Ninja, who had been patiently waiting to the side, nodded. "I will. Might I also suggest that Rinkah be brought? She has extensive experience in dealing with the Faceless abominations."

"Indeed. Mother, we will travel to the north on the fastest horses we can find and bring our sisters home. I swear it."

Mikoto shook her head. "No, that will take far too long. Have Orochi warp you, and take care of Caitlyn. That is all I ask."

Ryoma and Roger nodded, and turned around. "Come, Caitlyn. Let's get you a weapon from the armory, and then we shall be on our way."

"Actually, I do have my own. Kaze, did you by chance keep it when you found me?"

Kaze nodded. "Yes. Rinkah entrusted it to me for safekeeping."

He reached into the long sack he carried with him and drew Ganglari, the usual purple haze of energy around the sword very muted at the center of Hoshidan power. Reaching out, Caitlyn grasped the sword. She felt somehow safer with it in her hand.

Ryoma started walking for the exit. "Very well. Kaze, find Rinkah and have her meet us at the holy pool. I will have Orochi warp us from there." Caitlyn could see the thunder in his step. "Let's show these Nohrian abominations what happens when they threaten my sisters."

Hearing the steel in his voice, Caitlyn wondered if he and Xander were so different after all.

* * *

Using the restorative powers of the water, Orochi was able to warp the five of them again after careful study of the topographical data. Their target was a snowy field, full of steep inclines and sharp dips. The village of Illya way the primary target for the faceless, so Ryoma hoped to find them there swiftly. With a flash of light, they materialized a short way out from the village.

Kaze immediately drew his shuriken. "Take a good look around, Caitlyn. This is a treacherous region for battle. It is important to scout ahead and look for any troublesome areas."

Ryoma began to stride towards the village. "Well said. Come, let us see if Sakura and Hinoka are still at the village."

The five warriors marched ahead to the village. Up close, they could see some of the outer wall was quite badly damaged, with one large chunk of it missing entirely. One guard, armed with nothing more than a rough spear, stood at the gate. He saluted as Ryoma walked up to him. "Prince Ryoma! You honor us with your presence."

The man began a bow, but Ryoma cut him off with a hand motion. "Please, there is no need for ceremony now. Tell me, are the princesses here?"

The soldier stood up straight and shook his head. "No, sir. The battle became fierce, and Lady Hinoka feared for the safety of the villagers. She led a small regiment out of the village, to lead the Faceless away to buy us time."

Ryoma sighed, frustration coming through in his voice. "Which way did they go?"

"Over that hill and the one after that. As far North West as they could go, from what I understood."

The Prince frowned, but nodded at the soldier anyway. "Alright. Stand guard here, evacuate all the villagers to Peuit. And hurry, if something goes wrong here we may be unable to help you."

With that, Ryoma broke away at a sprint. He looked over his shoulder at Caitlyn. "I'm going on ahead to find Hinoka and Sakura. You take your time, hunt down all the faceless in the area. Go!" He reached the top of the mountain and disappeared over the top.

Caitlyn drew Ganglari. "Well then. We should probably follow after him, cover his flank."

Kaze nodded. "A wise move. Lord Ryoma could most likely eliminate all the Faceless here single handedly, but I am sure he appreciates the help."

Rinkah tossed her club from hand to hand. "Come on! Less talk, more bashing in abominations."

"I agree with Rinkah," Roger drew Alondite and smiled as the violet embers began to roll off the edge and tip once more. "I'm ready to start slaughtering."

Looking around her, Caitlyn caught sight of a titular enemy quite fast. Standing hunched under a cluster of trees, a huge creature slumped. Its skin was dark green, larger than any man with an abnormally large torso and long arms and legs. It wore a simple red scrap of cloth, which had once been stitched with runes to bring it to life, but now served as its only article of clothing aside from the face mask. For rather than having a face, the entirety of the monster's face was covered by a round, steel mask that covered its whole head. On the curved face of it, many breathing holes had been drilled, allowing black smoke to trickle out of the mask. It was a Faceless.

Rinkah spat. "They're pathetic. Makes me sick everytime I see one of them." She raised her club high. "Let's do it a favor."

She charged forward without waiting for either of them. The Faceless, unaware of her approach, continued to mess with something, its back to her. Rinkah made it within swinging distance, bringing her club down on its helmeted head. With a burst of fire, she connected, enveloping the head in flame. Caitlyn turned to Kaze.

"How does she do that?"

"She is of the Flame Tribe. The blood of flames runs strong in her veins. She can warp flames to suit her will."

Caitlyn nodded. Much like how Flora, her maid, had been able to manipulate ice. It was an interesting use of magical talent, separate from the usual tomes. She put it out of her mind, as Rinkah slammed the club again onto the monster, causing its helmet to melt over its head, killing it through the intense heat. She turned back to the other two.

"Come on! Lord Ryoma'll kill all of them himself if we don't hurry."

Caitlyn shrugged and followed after Rinkah, who was already moving ahead for the hill Ryoma had traveled up. It looked like a steep incline, it would take a while to climb it. Walking along the ridge to search for a good climbing point, Caitlyn felt a familiar twinge of power. Circling the base of the hill, a ring of power had its source beneath Caitlyn's feet. She reached out, feeling the ancient Dragon Vein.

"Rinkah! Get back from the hill!"

Rinkah stepped back off the incline, and Caitlyn completed the ring of power with herself. The snow of the hill began to rapidly melt, vanishing off the rock as steam. The rock itself began to go liquid, seeping down into the ground. Caitlyn pushed further, and the hill seemed to suck itself down to ground level. With a final rush, the once steep hill had become a tiny hump on the ground. Rinkah gasped, stepping onto the new patch of bare rock.

"Did you see that? The entire hill just disintegrated! Is that the power of a Dragon Vein? I had no idea..."

Kaze walked past her, already going for the next hill. "To harness the ancient dragon powers is truly a magnificent gift. Yet I wonder if even the Royals who wield that power can fully control it..." He shrugged. "I apologize, Milady. Just wondering aloud. Either way, strategically using Dragon Veins could be the key to this rescue."

Caitlyn agreed with him. Using the Dragon Veins Ryoma had missed in his effort to move quickly, they could probably outrun him to get ahead. Caitlyn ran after Kaze, and Roger followed Rinkah, starting to sense Dragon Veins all around her. She could carve a path right through this mountain range, get through it with ease, see whoever Hinoka wa-

She didn't see the Faceless step out from behind a broken down wall. She didn't hear it approach behind him, its heavy footfalls covered over by the snow. She only heard Kaze yell out, but by then the metal gloved fist was already descending towards her skull. No human reaction time could hope to block such a blow.

Ganglari was not human.

Once again it seemed to wield itself, dragging her hand around behind her head to stop the fist in its tracks. It flicked the fist back, before slicing it off at the wrist. The Faceless fell backwards, its scream muffled inside its iron prison. All around them, Faceless began to appear, roused from their rest by the fight. Caitlyn gripped Ganglari with both hands, wanting to keep control of the blade as much as possible. She wasn't sure how it almost seemed to control itself, but she wasn't going to question it. Looking around her, she saw about seven of them in total, boxing them in along with the steep hills. They didn't have many places to maneuver. But then again, Leo had once told her that the best strategies were born from limitations. She would just have to find a way.

"Kaze! Are Faceless affected by your shurikens?"

The ninja nodded, already holding a few in his fists. "Yes. The poison is less effective, but it will slow them all the same."

A plan started to form in Caitlyn's mind as the Faceless closed in. "Hit each of the Faceless to the left of you, and then retreat for that hill." She pointed. "I'll handle these two Faceless. Rinkah, you deal with the ones Kaze hits, Roger, go find the princesses. I know you can use the Veins too, so do your magic." She didn't have time to check it they understood. She had to move. First thing first- she stabbed upwards with Ganglari at the handless Faceless, still stunned from losing its fist, stabbing just under the bottom lip of its mask and into its throat. With a spray of black ichor, it fell backwards with a groan. Before it had even hit the ground, Caitlyn was moving.

She sprinted across the snow, her feet barely touching the ground. Faceless may be strong, but they were clumsy and slow to react. Her target saw her coming, and began to raise up its fists, but Caitlyn reached it before it was ready, ducking to the left and slicing its exposed armpit as she ran past. More of the black blood sprayed across the snow, and the Faceless folded on itself. Caitlyn jumped from foot to foot, feeling confident in her attack. She drew back Ganglari for the finishing blow. Dashing forward, she stabbed for the neck.

The monster ducked down, instead having Ganglari clang off of its tough iron helmet. The best flung a fist wildly behind it, catching Caitlyn with a crunching blow to the ribs. She was thrown back, landing on the snow and hitting her head on a rock. Dazed but still conscious, she drew herself up, aware of the threat still ahead of her. The faceless turned to face her, roaring loudly within its helmet. More black spurted onto the snow from its wound, but the crazed beast hardly cared at that point. It only desired to fulfill the purpose it was made for. It jumped forward with a surprising display of agility, smashing down with its good arm. Caitlyn dodged to the left, but stumbled on the uneven snow, almost falling. The faceless swung its fist in a horizontal arc, forcing Caitlyn to duck under it. When you lost the advantage, they could really put you on the defensive.

The young princess of Nohr got back into stance, walking slowly around the Faceless, looking for an opening. The creature gave her no such courtesy, instead charging at her again with a scream. In a split second decision, she stayed put rather than run. The monster raised both fists up to slam her into the snow. The motion exposed its neck, just as Caitlyn had hoped it would. With a quick jab, she punctured the neck and then swiftly stepped to to side. Black blood trickled down the monster's chest, and it fell face first into the snow. The only release for them from their natural violence, Caitlyn decided, was death. It was a mercy to the mindless creatures, unfortunate enough to be created for war.

"Milady! This one is tougher than expected!"

She turned to face two of his companions, who were surrounded with the bodies of Faceless. One, however, still stood. Its skin was a dirty yellow, and the steel gauntlets that covered its fists were spiked. Caitlyn recalled that Leo had told him about a new breed of Faceless that were stronger and smarter than the rest. This must be one of them.

"Draw it to the hill! I have a plan to kill it."

Kaze and Rinkah pulled back towards the designated point, keeping their weapons ready. The new faceless may be smarter, but it still didn't have the intuition to recognize when it was being played. It charged after the duo, closing the gap between them at a rapid pace. Caitlyn sprinted for the hill, feeling the power in the ground grow. There was a Dragon Vein right next to the hill. She knew what it did. Reaching the hill, she held his hand out and forced the Dragon Vein to activate. With a hiss of steam, the hill began to melt down. Rinkah broke off, letting Kaze lead the best towards the rapidly melting hill.

"Rinkah! Force it into the hill!"

Seeing his plan, the flame princess doubled around behind the faceless, which continued to chase after Kaze. The Ninja reached the hill, diving to the left to avoid the charging beast. The faceless almost fell into the churning mess, but managed to right itself, turning to paste Kaze into the snow. It would have, had Rinkah not smashed it with all her strength in the back. With a burst of fire, it was knocked right into the dissolving hill. Even through its iron mask, the scream was ear splitting. Super-heated snow and rock cooked the faceless alive, burning right through its toughened skin. With a final gurgle, the hill sucked into the ground, leaving a bare clearing of rock and a charbroiled Faceless corpse.

Caitlyn gasped as the pain caught up with her, clutching her ribs. "Good... good work everyone."

Kaze reached into his satchel and pulled out a clear vial filled with light yellow liquid. "I had hoped it would not be necessary, but here, Milady. I brought a Vulnerary for you."

Caitlyn gratefully reached out and took it, popping the cork and drinking the entire potion in one gulp. The magically enhanced liquid spread through her, easing her pains and causing her ribs to stop aching. It didn't heal much, but it got you moving again. Standing up, she wiped the black blood off of Ganglari using her cape. "We should catch up with Ryoma and Roger." She glanced towards one of the last remaining Dragon Veins and felt it fizzle out, meaning Roger had already caught up with Ryoma. "I and I think we should hurry."

The three warriors picked up the pace, moving between two of the larger hills in the direction Ryoma and Roger had run off in. All they had to do was follow the trail of faceless corpses he left behind, some slain with a single clean cut, others charred and smoking from a similar cut. In the distance, they could hear shouts and the clang of metal.

"We must be close. Prepare yourselves." Kaze warned.

Coming around a particularly steep hill, Caitlyn caught sight of Ryoma and Roger, cutting their way through a group of Faceless. They sliced with purpose, skill, and in Roger's case, extreme brutality. Ryoma's katana practically black from all the blood coating it, and Roger's blade was covered in a black residue from all of the heat-dried blood that had coated it. Behind them, a young woman with fiery red hair was engaging a yellow skinned faceless with a strange looking spear, using the large shield attached to it for blocking strikes. Ryoma and Roger seemed perfectly fine with their group, but the red headed warrior seemed to be struggling. Caitlyn turned to Kaze and Rinkah. "You two help Ryoma, I'll get Roger and go help her."

Rinkah grinned and rushed into the giant melee of faceless, ready to crush more Nohrian abominations. Kaze stayed at a distance, hurling shurikens with pinpoint accuracy. They had the larger group. She and Roger would deal with the yellow skinned one. Charging around the larger fight, she held Ganglari ahead of her and whistled for Roger. "Roger! Get over here!" Roger quickly rolled down the slight hill and saw what Caitlyn was going for. He simply grinned as the violet flames of Alondite coated the blade as he charged. "And you! Get back!" She shouted.

The woman turned her head to her and nodded. Stepping away, she allowed Roger and Caitlyn to sweep in front of her with a hard slash. The harsh slash cut open the yellow skin, causing blood to spill out onto the snow, followed by Roger's slash which widened the wound and left a massive set of 3rd degree burns all over its stomach. Apparently not caring, it proceeded with its assault and swung one of its spiked gauntlets towards Caitlyn. Before it could get within three feet of her, Roger stepped in blocked and batted the massive mound of metal aside and took over the battle. Caitlyn watched as he slashed and hacked the massive creature with an unrecognizable technique. Before, back in Nohr, Roger fought with grace and precision, focusing on a more defensive strategy. Now, he was much more confident and violent with his strikes, using the flames of Alondite to not only enhance his blows, but to also keep the Faceless at a distance with an occasional geyser of fire. After a moment she saw the creature stumble back, and that's when she took her chance. She rushed forward and drove Ganglari into its chest, running it down to the guard. She wrenched it out of its chest with a spout of black ichor behind it, staining the snow and the semi-tarnished armor that Roger wore.

"Guess I did that right."

With a roar of agony, the faceless got back up and backhanded Caitlyn with a savage blow, cutting through her armour and scraping her stomach. The princess found himself thrown backwards, Ganglari flying out of her hand. She landed face down in a pile of snow, dazed and stunned. The faceless roared and jumped into the air, aiming to land directly on her. Mere meters before the beast would have crushed her, the red haired warrior jumped to his side and held her naginata in the air. Realizing its mistake too late, the yellow skin impaled itself right on the spear, stopped in its arc of hitting Caitlyn. With a roar, it stood up and yanked the naginata from her hands, breaking it to show its strength. It raised its fists, preparing for the finishing blow.

But it never came.

The two of them looked up to see that Roger had blocked the strike and was struggling to push it back. The Faceless raised its fists again and continued to strike against Roger's stance, waiting for him to crumple from the sheer force. But with every blow, Caitlyn noticed both Roger, and the blade were changing. Roger's eyes were beginning to glow a bright amber like they did when he fought against Garon, and the flames on the blade were changing from violet, to blue. The Faceless roared in anger as Roger would not back down, it prepared a punchto knock him out of this stance, but Roger used the opportunity to drive his blade into the ground and cause a massive geyser of fire to knock the creature back. As it stumbled away, Roger took his chance. He threw his blade up into the air as the flames hit a pale-blue, as the blade spun in the air he charged towards the Faceless, waiting until Alondite was a few dozen feet above it. At that moment, he kicked up, jumped off of the Faceless' mask, grabbed the blade and brought it straight down. The Faceless raised its hands to try and catch the strike, but roared in agony as both of its gauntlets were severed from its arms.

" **You're just another mistake to erase!** " He bellowed, Caitlyn and the red-haired warrior watched as he slashed upwards, cutting through the massive beast with surprising ease. The two of the stared in awe as the two halves of the Faceless crumpled to the ground, smoking with an eerie blued smoke.

The warrior recovered from her shock first and asked the all important question. "Hey, are you alright?"

Caitlyn blinked, her head still ringing from the blow. She vaguely recalled the red headed warrior's name. "... We're here to help you.. Hinoka."

Hinoka laughed. "Yes, and you and your friend did an excellent job. Who are you, anyway? I thought I knew most of my brother's troops." Before Caitlyn could reply, she waved her hand. "Never mind. I appreciate the help, but now I have to go thank that other soldier for the save."

Caitlyn sat up, clearing her head. "Well, I'm glad one of us still feels confident. Looks like Ryoma did most of the work, anyway."

Hinoka pulled Ganglari out of the snow and handed it to her. "Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to be so dismissive. Thank you for coming all the way out here to help me, even if it didn't go so well. I owe you one... so take this." She handed her a square vial filled with dark brown liquid. "Use it to heal your wounds."

"Thank you." she gasped. Popping the cork, she glugged it down greedily. This one was much more potent than a simple Vulnerary, fully healing all her scrapes and bruises. She was sure it would hurt tomorrow, but for now she felt good as new. She stood up, shaking the snow off his armor. Hinoka looked across at her brother, who with the help of Rinkah and Kaze had finished off the entire group of faceless.

"Hey, you never did tell me your name."

"Oh, sorry. I'm Caitlyn. Nice to meet you!"

A look of confusion passed across Hinoka's face, but before she could ask her question a roar echoed out over the snowy plain. Looking at the tall hill just ahead of them, a gang of four yellow skins came over its crest. One among them was adorned with an ornate helmet and spike gauntlet. The leader. All faceless groups had a leader that co-ordinated them, organised their assault. They were said to be the strongest creations of Nohr. Even Ryoma looked worried as they began to slowly descend the hill. Caitlyn stood.

"Excuse me for a moment, Hinoka." She took a step forward and was stopped by Roger's hand hitting her chest.

"Hold up Cait," Roger grinned. "I got this."

Roger broke into a sprint, seemingly he had already felt the Dragon Vein that encircled the hill. Reaching out with his hand, he began to access it. He kept running, power slowly building as he saw the top of the hill begin to billow steam.

"Lord Dazuachi! What are you doing?" Ryoma began to run after Roger, anxious to stop him running straight into the horde.

Finally, Roger felt the Dragon Vein react to his power. It gathered into his clenched fist, bursting to move into the heart of the hill. Caitlyn didn't know if he knew how to release such a huge amount of power, or if he acted on instinct. Roger drew his fist back, and punched the hill. A vibrant purple energy rippled outwards, causing the surface level snow the evaporate immediately. The rock then began to melt, becoming the strange liquid/solid combination that made no sense. The faceless sank into the hill, screaming as they were cooked by the superheated rock. In just a few moments, the once tall hill had retracted into the ground, and the faceless were nowhere to be seen- incinerated entirely. Ryoma caught up with Roger, slowing to a walk.

"... Incredible. There was a Dragon Vein there this whole time?"

He nodded. "Yes. Most of the hills in this region were to connected to one. Cait and I used them to catch up with you."

Ryoma laughed. "And I didn't even notice any. Thank you, both of you. I don't know if even I could have fought all of them."

Hinoka kept staring at Caitlyn, now certain in her suspicions. "Sakura! You can come out now!"

A pile of soft snow shifted, and from behind it stepped a girl in a priestess robe. She carried a healing stave, and had the same red hair as Hinoka- albeit much more organised and with a lighter tint. Ryoma turned to the royal princesses.

"Hinoka, Sakura! I'm so glad that you're both safe." He looked around. "But where are your troops? Hinoka, your pegasus?"

Hinoka stared at the ground. "We were ambushed by faceless hiding on the hills. All... all of my soldiers are dead. My pegasus, injured. I told it to fly back to the castle, lest it be killed. I... led them all into a slaughter."

Ryoma laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sister, I am so sorry. Do not blame yourself for their loss. They gladly gave their lives to defend the villagers."

Hinoka looked up at Ryoma. "Are they safe?"

He nodded. "Yes. I made sure of it."

She nodded sadly. "Then perhaps it may have been worth it. We need to find their bodies, so that they can be returned to their families."

The younger princess hugged her sister from behind. "You were very brave, Hinoka. I wouldn't have survived if you didn't help me. Don't beat yourself up so much."

Hinoka nodded, and gently tore herself free of their grips. "Thank you. Both of you. I'll be fine." She turned to face Caitlyn, staring at her intently. "Just fine."

Deciding this was a good time for proper introductions, Caitlyn stepped forward. "Greetings, Lady Sakura and Hinoka. My name is-"

"Your name is Caitlyn. I know. I suspected it from the moment I saw you." Hinoka cut in.

Suspecting where this was leading, Caitlyn nodded. "Er, yes. Nice to meet you properly."

Sakura looked up at her elder sister, who had tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "Hinoka? Are you okay?"

Hinoka ran forward, closing the gap between them around throwing her arms around her sister's neck. "Finally... After all these years." She sniffled. "I... I've missed you so much!"

Caitlyn froze up. For the second time in a day, she was being hugged by someone she barely knew. Yet for Mikoto, she had felt nothing but awkward. With Hinoka... Staring at her wild red hair, she remembered something. A distant memory, dredged from the lake of time. That same hair on a girl much smaller, playing with a wooden sword. Tripping and landing on her back. Playing together. Laughter. She... Remembered Hinoka. With trembling hands, she placed her arms around her as well.

"I... Did not remember you when I was gone. I forgot the time we spent as children, growing up together. But now, I miss the time I lost. The time I could have spent being your sister, and you my elder. It is…" She sniffled, her emotions finally coming out for the world to see. "Good to see you again, Hinoka."

Ryoma smiled as the two embraced each other tightly. "You and Hinoka were always so attached to each other when you were little. When you were taken from us, she cried for months. One day, she stopped crying and picked up the nagita. Every day she has spent training, training to get you back from Nohr. And now... Here you are."

Hinoko sniffled, breaking away from Caitlyn. "I'm sorry, Caitlyn. I'm not usually this emotional. But I'm just so sorry to have you back! Take that, Nohrian Scumbags! We win, you lose!"

Caitlyn felt slightly offended at the Nohrian comment, but decided to let it slide. She noticed Roger's face twinge slightly at the comment as well, but decided to let that lie too. Hinoka's enthusiasm was infectious, and she found herself smiling. "We certainly handled those Faceless. I've never seen one until today."

Hinoka shrugged. "I call 'em dead meat. Nohr sends a new wave every few weeks. Usually our border guards get them, but one of our forts were in chaos and this lot slipped through."

Caitlyn paled. The fort... she'd done that. It had been her who'd killed all those soldiers. Because of her, the faceless made it through. She was the reason all those soldiers died. Hinoka and Sakura both almost died. Because of his choice. Her fault.

Seeing her immediate discomfort, Roger stepped in and cleared his throat. "Lady Hinoka, Lady Sakura, first off, it is a pleasure to meet the two of you and I will introduce myself after this little explanation. But, I believe our fair Caitlyn feels a little guilty because she thinks she was the cause of the Faceless, but I can assure you and her," He shot Caitlyn a warm smile. "That Nohr was responsible for the entire assault."

"But they wouldn't have cleared the border if it wasn't for me!"

"You don't know that. I read the reports and the Nohrian Army sends those monsters constantly to try and destabilize villages. They might have made it through regardless."

Caitlyn looked around her, seeing only death. "Father sends these things to attack innocent people? He... he wouldn't do that!"

Hinoka scoffed. "Of course he would. He's pure evil. Sometimes they even kill the mages that sent them, but Nohr doesn't care. All they want is for us to give in. To surrender. I won't ever forgive them for that, or for stealing you away. They'll pay for all the suffering they've caused!"

"Amen to that," Roger added. "I nearly got killed by one of those things when I was training to be Garon's tactician. Nasty, vile and unnatural things they are."

Caitlyn thought back to what she had seen of King Garon. All her siblings respected and cared for their father- Well, she supposed they weren't really his siblings, were they? If they lied to her about who she really was, how much else did they keep from her? Maybe Nohr really were the villains. But... What Leo had said, about wanting to redistribute wealth, protect all the people. He seemed so genuine. And King Garon... Wasn't unfair in his actions. He just wanted to protect Nohr. Right?

Right?

Looking around her, Caitlyn wasn't sure how much she could justify any of it.

* * *

They returned to the capital on horses borrowed from Illya. During which, Roger fully introduced himself to Hinoka and Sakura, which went quite well even after admitting his ties with Garon. Queen Mikoto was waiting for them at the front gate, anxious to see their safe return. "Oh, my children! I'm so glad to see you safe!" She stooped down and embraced Sakura, stroking the younger girls hair. "Are you hurt at all? Should I call for a healer?"

Hinoka shook her head. "No, we're fine. A few moldy beasts aren't going to take down the royal family of Hoshido!" She nudged Roger's arm. "And this one here saved mine and Caitlyn's butts!"

Mikoto smiled at Roger, who was blushing at the praise. "I thank you Lord Dazuachi, and I trust that you will keep doing so." She turned her attention back to Hinoka. "But of course, I do so worry when you go out on these missions. Surely it would be safer if you stayed in the castle?"

Hinoka frowned. "It is our duty to protect the people. What king of rulers would we be if we just stayed safe in our fortress while the common people are slaughtered by Nohr?"

The Queen smiled. "You do so remind me of your father, Hinoka. Please, come inside. I have prepared some food for you, I'm sure you must be hungry."

Caitlyn expected a small table of snacks. What she saw when he entered the banquet hall stunned her. A long table, filled with fruit, meat, and vegetables she didn't know could be so colorful. With all the food there, they could have fed everyone in the Northern Fortress for a month. Ryoma, Hinoka, Roger and Sakura sat down and began to eat, using strange instruments to pick up the food. Caitlyn stared at the display, not sure whether to be confused or horrified. They had this much food in Hoshido? Enough that they could just throw a banquet at a whim? When Caitlyn had wanted any special type of food, she had to put in a requisition that could take months to arrive, if at all. There was no way they could eat all of that food. Who did they think they were, wasting it all like this?

"Caitlyn? Are you going to sit down?"

She looked over at Hinoka, who had expectantly prepared a mat for her to sit on. She shook his head. "I'm... Not hungry." She suddenly felt anxious to leave the room. "Is there a place I could sleep, please?"

Roger sighed and smiled. "I'll save some for you later," He finished the remainder on his plate. How he ate that so fast, she didn't know. "If it is okay with you Queen Mikoto, I would like to scout around the place a bit, get used to my new abode."

Queen Mikoto clapped her hands. "Of course, of course! You must be tired after such a long day." She motioned for Caitlyn to follow. "Follow me. I have just the place." She turned to Roger and handed him a small medal on her way by. "Just wear that on your armor and you'll be fine. But… watch out for Takumi. He may not think you're an ally just yet."

Roger nodded and gave Caitlyn a short hug before walking down a hallway on the other end of the room. Caitlyn followed Queen Mikoto out of the banquet hall, the aroma of food they couldn't possibly fully eat wafting after her. She led her down a few corridors that had exquisite murals painted on them, and finally through a sliding door.

"Welcome back, Caitlyn. This is your old room."

Caitlyn looked around the room. Yes, it certainly did look like the kind of place she would have loved as a child. A huge display of wooden and mechanical toys were stacked neatly in a box, and a bed far too large for a child dominated the far left corner of the room. One wall was completely filled with childish drawings. Caitlyn walked over to it and pulled one off the wall. "What was this?"

Queen Mikoto looked over his shoulder. "Oh! That's a picture you drew when you were a little girl. This is your father, that's me, and that at is. It's so cute!"

Caitlyn stared down at the childish stick figures. Her 'father' was little more than a scribble wearing a helmet. None of it stirred any memories. She placed it down on a carved wood desk and sighed. Queen Mikoto continued to walk around the room.

"We couldn't bear to touch a thing in this room after you were taken. If we put your things away, it would feel like giving up." She turned to her, smiling. "You've grown so much. I can't believe how beautiful you are!"

Caitlyn coughed. "I still don't remember any of this."

Mikoto cocked her head. "Oh?"

"I... I just don't know how to respond to your stories. I believe I'm your child, I think I remember Hinoka, but... everyone else here just feels like a stranger to me."

Mikoto smiled sadly. "I understand, Caitlyn. Please don't worry about it."

Caitlyn sighed. "I'm sorry. You've been kind to me, but I still don't feel anything..."

Mikoto laid a hand on her shoulder. "It makes sense. You spent your childhood in Nohr, surrounded by those vipers. I'm sure they kept you quiet sheltered. You will need time to think all of this through, to search your soul. But I hope that one day we can be a family again."

Caitlyn stayed silent. Mikoto turned to the door. "For now, make yourself comfortable. Sleep, if you wish, or explore the castle grounds. I'm sure there will be plenty of food left over if you feel hungry, as well."

I bet they'll be food left over, Caitlyn thought darkly. What do you do with leftovers? Throw it out? Nohr could have used that to feed a family for more than a month. She sat down on the over sized bed and sighed. She was exhausted from everything that had happened today and slowly sank down onto the bed. The bed had been too soft, and too large, a far cry from the functional and adequate bed she'd had at the Northern fortress. But, it was a bed nonetheless and slowly she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the gardens, Roger was strolling through the cherry-blossom trees and sighed. Like Caitlyn, he was exhausted, but he was still too jumpy to get some actual sleep. As he walked he started hearing another voice, it was feminine, melodious and singing something.

" _You are the ocean's grey waves,_ "

Roger turned his head towards the stunningly beautiful voice, coming from the large lake just outside the castle grounds. A figure was standing by the shore, singing a haunting yet beautiful melody. It sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't pinpoint where he had heard it before.

" _Destined to seek, life beyond the shore, just out of reach,_ "

" _Yet the waters ever change,_ "

" _Flowing like time,_ "

" _The path is yours to climb._ "

Roger took a step onto the boardwalk the mysterious singer was standing on, and she stopped immediately. She turned around to face him, a questioning expression on her face. Roger cleared his throat, realizing he had just snuck up on her.

"That was a very beautiful song, and sorry for sneaking up on you." He walked to the end of the boardwalk until he was only a few feet from the mysterious girl.

The mystery singer smiled, as if that was something she heard a lot. "You must be the one who accompanied Princess Caitlyn. It's nice to meet you."

Roger nodded and grinned. "That would be me, my name's Roger Dazuachi Marren." He bowed slightly. "Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm Azura. Former princess of Nohr."

Roger stared at her. With long blue hair, fair skin and a petite, light body, she didn't look anything like the Nohr nobles that he knew. Not to mention nobody had ever told him about there being another Nohr princess. "Former? I don't understand. If that were so, I would surely have heard of you. I grew up amongst the Nohr nobles."

Azura's smile fell. "I have been in Hoshido a rather long time. Most likely as long or longer than you while you were in Nohr. When Princess Caitlyn was taken, the Hoshidans tried many times to get her back, but they were too deep in Nohr territory. I, however, wasn't nearly as well guarded. They kidnapped me, as a hostage to try trade for her." She smiled grimly. "King Garon wasn't interested in giving her up, however. The Hoshidans were forced to keep me."

Roger could only guess how it would have felt growing up in Nohr if he knew the royals had taken him from his rightful home, but then again, Garon did technically take him from his parents at a fairly young age, but that was in the past. And that was nothing in comparison to what Azura had gone through, no comforting lie to make things easier too. "I really don't have anything to say so... I'm sorry."

Azura shrugged. "It's not so bad. I've lived a happy life here in Hoshido. The people of Hoshido tolerate me, and Queen Mikoto seems to treat me like one of her own daughters. I may always be an outsider, but I've not been mistreated."

"Like her own daughter? Hm..."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen between you and Queen Mikoto?"

"Not me specifically, but she was reunited with her daughter for the first time in nearly two decades. And right now she's just confused and she doesn't know what to do." Roger sat down on the end of the boardwalk and sighed. "Gods this is gonna be one hell of an adjustment…"

Azura nodded. "I understand. If I were to go back to Nohr, I suspect I'd feel the same way."

Roger felt an a strange affinity for the strange, blue haired songstress. He, Caitlyn and her were similar in many ways, he decided. "Do you think you could start over there? Live a new life among strangers?"

She shook her head. "No. Given the choice, I would stay here. Nohr is far too alien to me at this point for me to even consider going back."

Roger looked around him at the land of plenty, and couldn't help but feel exactly the same way about Hoshido. Maybe, if he gave it time, he and maybe Caitlyn could get used to it. But more than anything, he wanted to find his sister, and this was his best chance. All he knew was that if he could get to Izumo, he would have his chance. Azura sat down beside him, a small, pleasant smile on her face.

"It was nice to meet you, Roger. At least I may finally met the man who guarded the woman I was to be traded for." She gazed at their reflections in the water. "All I ask of you is this: What are you going to do with your new life?"

Roger pulled a coin from his pocket and inspected it absentmindedly, and then he threw it into the clear water, causing a small ripple in the process. "I don't know. For now, I'm just going to spend some time thinking and maybe train a bit. And this place seems like the perfect place for it."

Nodding, the lost princess of Nohr looked towards the now visible moon. She sighed and looked at Roger for a moment, seeing his oddly calm face made her smile for some unknown reason. She remembered his compliment about her song and decided to humor him a little by humming. As she went on she heard something else, she heard Roger humming with her. His voice was surprisingly quiet and his hum was barely audible, but it sounded amazing. She thought back and quickly remembered that he said part of his name was Dazuachi, meaning he had grown up around performers and he possibly took up singing as a hobby. As the cool air passed by, the two of them kept humming until Roger yawned.

"Thanks for calming me down Azura," He yawned. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to acquire a cot and bedroll so I may keep an eye on Cait." He stood up and stretched. "I may see you in the morning, and for now, good night."

Azura gave him a small wave as he left. There were a thousand thoughts going through his head right now, and all of them were fairly important questions. But one stuck out more than any other, what was going to happen to Caitlyn. The power he felt back at the Northern Fortress had gotten worse when he entered the capital, and now it felt even stronger now that Caitlyn was here too. He fingered his amulet and clenched it tightly in his hand. He knew something was coming, and it was a choice that only Caitlyn could make.

A choice that would change the fate of everyone, across all nations.

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter 4...**_

 _ **A/N:**_ Wow. This has been getting more updates at a pace I couldn't have even expected. Obviously it's gonna slow down once we hit the split, but we've got two more chapters until that moment. And since I've got your attention, I would like you guys to do a little something for me.

I... want you guys to help plan out Roger's fate. Being that the split is coming soon, I need a few opinions on upcoming events (His pairing, new class/promotion with DLC classes, and if you guys want the loose!Roger or the regal!Roger personality.), so to start I have a little poll set up to see who is going to become Roger's bride-to-be. And for fair warning, if we get a tie between any of them, it'll revert to my canon pairing of "Roger x Caitlyn"

But, that's going to take a while, so farewell for now!


	6. Interlude 1: From Dusk to Dawn

**_Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations_**

 ** _Interlude Chapter 1: From Dusk to Dawn_**

* * *

 **A/N:** (Okay, quick explanation for "Interlude" Chapters. These chapters, like in Intervention, are built to start supports and so the characters can get to know one another. And, being that Roger and Caitlyn have made it to Hoshido, I think we need to give them a little time, or a lot of time in Caitlyn's case, to adjust to their new surroundings. Also, the current poll count for Roger's pairing is:

 **(This is not just the poll votes, I'm also counting the votes from both my reviews and PM's)**

 _1st. ~ Roger & Azura: 6_

 _2nd. ~ Roger & Caitlyn: 6_

 _3rd. ~ Roger & Camilla: 3_

 _4th. ~ Roger & Felicia: 1_

 _4th. ~ Roger & Scarlet: 1_

 _Last. ~ Roger & Reina: 0_

 ** _Current Leader: Roger & Azura_**

 **My Opinion:** I was surprised that out of the current people and voters, that Roger and Azura would be the leader. I mean, they really don't have that much in common besides their taste in music and a troubled past. Other than that, I will still support them if they remain the leader, but there still is time and the poll is gonna be up for around a week to ten days. So, only time will tell.

But that's enough talk. Time to spend a little time with the Royals!

* * *

Caitlyn arose as a small beam of dulled sunlight peaked through the window of her room. She blinked, sat up and yawned, rubbing her tired crimson eyes and letting her vision grow used to the increased level of light in comparison to the dull morning light of Nohr. She scanned her room and noticed a disturbance, in the form of a cot and a body sleeping near the door. It was Roger, sleeping quietly with a light snore. She guessed he asked Mikoto to sleep there to keep an eye on her, which she thought was surprisingly lax when they knew that Roger, albeit half Hoshidan, was half Nohrian and could've killed her as she slept. She shifted from her sitting position to a kneeling position and stretched, feeling her stiff joints crack and pop as they moved back into a comfortable position. During which, she winced every time she had to crack her back, due to the damages from the battle yesterday.

 _'Gods… it's been so long since I slept that peacefully. How long was I even out for?'_ She looked out the window and saw that the sun was just beginning to rise. _'I'd have to guess about nine or maybe ten hours? Wow.'_ She placed a hand on her stomach and winced. _'Maybe I should find Lady Sakura and get these injuries treated properly.'_ She hopped off of her bed and noticed a small hairbrush on the floor nearby. "Guess I can make myself look semi-decent at least." She grabbed the small bamboo brush and ran it through the tangles of her black hair, pushing just a little harder whenever she hit a knot or ichor stain in her hair. She made a mental note to find a bathhouse and actually clean off the dried ichor and blood that had seeped through her armor and clothing.

"Ugh…" She turned around and saw that Roger was stirring, rubbing his eyes like she did. "Oh, g'morning Cait. Sleep well?" He slurred, still semi-asleep. "'Cause I slept like a damned rock on a mountain."

Caitlyn watched him carefully, she never saw Roger in the mornings, and she had to admit, it was funny to see that he wasn't a morning person. He stretched a few times and cracked his joints, each time a sickening pop or crack followed. She grinned as he groaned from his still present exhaustion.

"So, Cait? How does coffee and or tea sound?" He asked. "Because I just need something to help me get out of this state…"

"Sounds wonderful," Caitlyn reached for Ganglari and hesitated. Even though the sword made her feel safer, she thought it may not make the best impression on the other inhabitants. She left the blade by her bed and followed Roger out towards the hall where they had the banquet last night. Once they entered they already found Hinoka sitting down with a cup of tea in her hands. Talking to two other figures. One Caitlyn easily recognized as a Hoshidan Monk, the male version of their healers and the other was dressed like one of the Maids back at the Northern Stronghold, but with a lot more armor.

"Good morning, Lady Hinoka," Roger bowed. "Mind if Caitlyn and I join you three?"

"Sure! Azama made extra just in case anyone else showed up." Roger sat down on Hinoka's right and Caitlyn sat down on her left. They grabbed a bamboo cup each and filled them up with the fresh, aromatic drink. Caitlyn sniffed it, recoiling slightly at the strong ginger-like smell. "Oh come on Caitlyn, it's not that bad. Just try it."

She raised the cup to her lips and sipped a small amount of the tea, it tasted like bitter roots, with an aftertaste similar to blackberries. In all honesty, it was very good, and it looked like Roger had a similar experience, however, he was already refilling his cup and had began to gulp down the contents once more. Once he had finished, he explained to Caitlyn that this was a tea called " _Kurone_ " or "Black Root" tea, which had a bitter taste and a pleasant berry aftertaste. As the five of them began talking, Mikoto, Ryoma and Sakura joined us and Hinoka's retainers left with a bow.

"It's good to see your mood has improved, Sister," Ryoma commented. "How was your night?"

"Simple. Quiet and surprisingly dreamless."

"He he, then it sounds like you did have a pleasant night," He shifted his gaze to Roger. "Lord Dazuachi, I noticed some of your skill with that blade of yours. Perhaps you and I could get to know one another over a duel or two?"

"Sounds perfect," Roger downed the last of his cup and stood up. "Meet you at the training grounds." He bowed to Mikoto and left, most likely to retrieve his armor and weapon.

"So, Caitlyn," Hinoka began. "What's up with you and him? Because, not trying to pry into your personal life or anything, you two are kinda fused at the hip whenever he's around. What's the deal?"

"Roger is my bodyguard and one of my retainers," Caitlyn explained. "He's been with me for about five years now, training me in hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting. Other than that, he's been my shield and as you may have seen back at Illya, he really cares about me and anyone related to me."

"So he was one of your teachers then?" Mikoto asked, her curiosity peaking. "Tell me, did he ever teach you about Hoshido?"

"He did give me a few lessons on Hoshidan history, but the King caught onto that and had his textbooks burned…"

"I see." Mikoto noticed the slight twinge of sorrow in her eyes and smiled. "Then perhaps you two can continue your tutoring in the Shirasagi Library, we keep an assortment of recovered Nohrian tomes and texts that may help, alongside the scrolls and stories about our own past."

Caitlyn perked up at that, a smile slowly making its way onto her face. "Really?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes, I shall notify Yukimura and tell him about the two of you as not to provoke any hostile feelings."

Caitlyn quickly squeezed Mikoto in a tight hug, a look of pure joy on her face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squeezed tighter as Mikoto simply smiled and hugged her back, a look of pure happiness on her face while doing so. "You don't know how happy I am from hearing you say that!"

"I can only guess," Mikoto stood up and released Caitlyn as she did the same. "Now go on, run along and go explore. I have a meeting to attend to and will not be back until noon." She looked at Ryoma, Sakura and Hinoka. "Keep an eye on her and her guard please, I'd like to see they are treated as equally as us."

"Yes mother," The three of them nodded and stood up. Ryoma and Hinoka made their way to the training grounds and Sakura and Caitlyn made their way to the library to have a little history lesson, courtesy of Sakura.

* * *

Roger had retrieved his equipment and was waiting at the training grounds, whistling jovially as he waited for Ryoma. While he waited, he glanced around the area to see groups of other soldiers training and practicing, there were Spear Fighters, Samurai, Archers and a few Savages all doing their own style of combat to see who'd come out on top. He kept looking until he noticed a small archery competition happening at the Firing Range. He saw three other archers along with one who looked much more decorated and wielded a much more ornate Yumi. He watched as he put five shots into the target with deadly efficiency and precision. The archer had a smug smile as his opponents applauded his performance.

"I see you've noticed my younger brother," Ryoma began. "Quite the dead-eye, isn't he?"

"He's definitely leagues better than any of the Adventurer's back in Nohr," Roger chuckled. "I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that Yumi." He stared at him for another second before sighing. "Guess I may see how he performs if another battle arises. But back to what we're here for."

"Right," They walked to opposite sides of the dueling circle and drew their swords, Ryoma's blade, the Raijinto, and Roger's blade, Alondite. Any nearby soldiers that decided to spectate saw the two swordsman standing off, their faces quickly went from calm and joyous to serious and focused, soon enough the very air stood silent as the they waited for one of them to make the first move. The two of them knew the other's fighting style. Roger's fighting style was defensive, focusing on riposting and then switching to a very aggressive, full force rush to end the battle quick. Ryoma's was similar, but more relied on quick and precise strikes with an average amount of striking power. The two of them were skilled, but this was down to two factors: Speed and Strength.

Knowing he had the disadvantage, Roger charged forward and quickly activated the flames of Alondite to give him a little edge. In response, Ryoma quickly sidestepped and slashed at Roger's back, the edge of Raijinto shattering the back plating of Roger's armor. Roger winced from the few shards that pierced through his chainmail and dug into his back slightly, but quickly spun around and tried to counter-slash Ryoma's chest, only for his blade to be stopped by the Raijinto. The warrior's blades pushed against one another, the blued-violet flames and the teal lightning from the two swords clashed and sparked, searing the ground around them. Roger tried to push against Ryoma, only for him to slip while being shoved back and drop his guard for long enough so Ryoma could slash Raijinto upwards, disarming Roger and leaving him on the ground without a weapon. After his blade pierced the ground several feet away, Roger stood up and bowed.

"I yield." When he stood straight again, he shot the prince a smile. "Looks like the rumors were true."

Ryoma chuckled and pulled Roger's sword from the ground. "There were non-hostile rumors about my skills? Never knew."

Roger simply smiled and shrugged, taking his sword back from Ryoma and removing his broken armor. He gazed at the remnants and fragmented plates of his chestplate and frowned. "Guess this really didn't help me…"

"What about your Nohrian armor? You still have it, don't you?"

"I do, but it's not the…" He paused. "What's the phrase? Oh yeah, "best choice for the current area"." He reached around and brushed the shards of lacquer from his chainmail. "Think you can put in a request to any of the blacksmiths in Sanrando to make a set of lacquer coated steel armor?"

"Maybe, but first I'll put in a request to get you some more… fitting clothing."

Roger looked at his outfit and realized he had yet to find replacements for his stained and slightly charred Mercenary clothes. He laughed nervously and felt a stinging sensation in the right side of his back. "Ow…"

"It seems like my strike may have done more than just break your armor," He noticed a small puddle of blood near Roger's boot. "I think I may have actually gone through your mail."

"Really? This stuff is Nohrian Silver, it's built to take-" He cut himself off as he felt a three-inch section of his chainmail was gone, and when he touched the shirt beneath it, it felt warm and sticky. "Well I'll be damned…"

Ryoma sighed and started walking back to the castle. "Follow me, I'll take you to the infirmary so Sakura can get that healed." Roger nodded and followed suit, not noticing the glare being shot towards him from one of the spectators.

* * *

"So what're you here for?" The warrior beside Roger asked. "Pulled muscle? Broken bone? No wait, let me guess… lost a finger!"

Roger sighed at the brown haired Samurai beside him. "No, no and definitely no."

"Then what?"

"You'll see it when Lady Sakura comes, now shut up and go back to sleep…" Roger rolled over and laid on his stomach, as not to stain the white sheets on the bed he was resting on any further. Roger was used to going to an infirmary. Most of the time when he trained with Camilla and Xander, he ended up with a few bruises, a couple broken bones and the occasional cut or gash, so places like this weren't really that uncomfortable. He kept track of the time in his head to help keep him entertained until Lady Sakura arrived to help alleviate him of his injury. He gazed around the room to the other soldiers who'd injured themselves from training, and saw most of them had splints on their broken bones, or bandages covering their larger wounds. After about 22 minutes and seven seconds, by his count, he heard the door slide open and saw two people walk in. One being Sakura, and the other being the archer he saw, who was glaring at him and the Samurai beside him.

"S-Sorry for keeping you waiting…" Sakura apologized, bowing slightly. "My s-sister and I took our little history lesson a b-bit too far."

"There's no need to say you're sorry Lady Sakura," Roger replied, slightly muffled from the pillow beneath his jaw. "If you and Cait were bonding, then I could've waited for as long as you needed." Roger pushed himself up and got into a kneeling position so Sakura could have a better view of his wound. "Can you see it?"

Sakura scanned Roger's back until noticing the small cut in his shirt. "F-Found it." She raised her festal and murmured a few words and Roger felt a tingling sensation in his lower back as the wound closed. Once it faded, he ran a hand over the previously injured area to find that nothing remained, not even a scar. He stood up and removed his chainmail shirt, seeing that the area that Ryoma had broken off wasn't very large, and could be easily covered if Ryoma put his request through. He grabbed the light blue shirt from the table beside him and replaced his slightly bloody and torn black shirt with the new one, the fabric felt nearly the same as the Nohrian silk he wore normally, but it was lighter, but a touch more rigid. After slipping his chainmail back over it, he turned and bowed to Sakura.

"Thank you, Lady Sakura."

"Don't mention it," She began, her normal stutter seemingly gone. "I just like to help people."

"I can tell," He ruffled the younger girl's hair and left, grabbing his bag and sword on the way out. " _Now, where is that damned library...?_ "

"Hey, you," Roger turned around and saw that the archer from before had followed him out. Without the helmet he wore while he was training, Roger could see his dark platinum blonde hair and bright brown eyes, which were boring into Roger's own hazel eyes. "I need to talk to you."

"Uh… okay?" Roger leaned against the nearby wall and waited. "Should we introduce each other first or…"

"Silence." He growled.

"Woah~ no need to be hostile. I just wanted to know the name of the person I'm going to be talking too."

"My name is Takumi, Prince of Hoshido."

Roger tensed up. He remembered Mikoto's warning about Takumi, saying he wasn't very trusting of anyone who was a foreigner of Hoshido, and since Roger was not only half Nohrian, but also was one of Garon's closest soldiers, he had all the more reasons to avoid Takumi like a plague. And now he was practically face to face with the one royal who would kill him if he was allowed too. Roger's hand absentmindedly made it's way to a small hidden knife he carried whenever he travelled around the lower city in Windmire, but he quickly noticed it and stopped.

"Well? Who the hell are you?"

Roger gulped and sighed, trying to calm himself without showing weakness. "My full name is Lord Roger Dazuachi Marren, Ex-Tactician to King Garon and Retainer to Princess Caitlyn." Roger bowed, hoping to the gods that Takumi wouldn't put an arrow through his head. "A pleasure to meet you, Prince Takumi."

The prince simply stared him down, as if trying to see if he would lash out and try and attack him for no reason. In all honesty, he was surprised he hadn't lost his cool and actually was showing respect, but Takumi decided to keep that to himself just for now, until he could prove that this Roger character wouldn't kill him if his back was turned.

"Well. I suppose it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lord Dazuachi." Takumi kept his weapon, the Fujin Yumi, ready to fire just in case. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, just to make sure you're not going to betray me or any of my siblings."

"Very well, ask away."

 _'He's being awfully casual about this…'_ ; "First off, were you born in Hoshido, or in Nohr?"

"Neither. I was born in Nestra."

"A neutral?" Roger nodded. "I see. Next question, did you ever believe the rumors spread about us? About our supposed greed and brutality?"

"No."

"Hah! I knew you-" He caught himself as he finally absorbed Roger's response. "Wait, what?"

"I said no." Roger grabbed Alondite and attached it to his back. He walked up to Takumi and looked him dead in the eyes, his glare cold, hard and angry. "I think you forgot, but just because I heard the rumors, doesn't mean I'm like every other Nohrian soldier. I knew the beauty of Hoshido, and now that I've seen it for myself? I can't see any of those rumors to be true. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Caitlyn so we can continue our lessons from a couple years prior. Now, I do humbly apologize for being rude, but talking about my personal life is left to the one's I've known for more than a day. So, I must cut this abruptly so we don't cross a line that will tick me off." Roger turned and shot the prince a glare that could cut through silver. "Goodbye and have a nice day."

Takumi stood stunned at what Roger had said. His words _bled_ truth, but Takumi still couldn't accept them. He watched as Roger stormed off, his stride proud and respectful, yet strangely quiet. After leaving his view, Takumi finally turned and left for the training grounds, eager to let loose a few arrows to relieve the stress Roger was causing him. Takumi knew he couldn't be trusted. He was a Nohrian soldier, who worked for King Garon, if that didn't just say suspicious, he didn't know what would.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late, Cait. Ran into some… trouble." Roger sat down beside Caitlyn and grabbed one of the textbooks that she wasn't taking notes from. "Sakura said you and her already began reading?"

"Yeah, but I really couldn't get much further…" She shoved the scroll she was reading in front of me. "I can barely understand Ancient Nohrian, think you can help me with the Hoshidan translation?"

Roger sighed and grabbed the bottle of ink and began to read through the scroll, re-writing it into the common tongue. Even though his mother wrote most of her plays in both the Modern and Ancient Hoshidan tongues, Roger barely got much of a chance to learn himself before he was taken by Garon, but he knew enough to give Caitlyn a few simplified translations. Caitlyn watched as Roger's quill practically danced across the papyrus, writing words and dialogue in mere seconds. Leo always mentioned how detailed Roger could be in his writings, he even let her read some of his reports after battles and she knew that Roger could be a very detailed person, especially after a battle, she shuddered upon remembering the amount of graphic imaging he provided as well, and now that she's performed similar acts, she now saw that Roger's detail, wasn't just over-exaggeration, but true and honest words.

A tap on her shoulder brought her out of thought as Roger handed her a small roll of scrolls. "Wow. You got that done quick."

"You've seen what I can do on the battlefield with my reports, this was a fraction of work required." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Although my Hoshidan is a bit rusty…"

"Wait, you actually don't know the language?"

"I _do_ know _some_ of it, just not as much as you think." He grabbed another piece of papyrus and wrote out several words. "I know the basics, but I didn't get a chance to continue learning it once Garon came for me. So I can only write the most basic of phrases and a few lengthy words. But a full translation should be done by someone who knows the language much better than me."

"Then perhaps I could make a full translation for Princess Caitlyn?"

They both turned around to see a fairly tall figure, with evergreen hair and light chocolate eyes which were behind a pair of steel-rimmed spectacles. His outfit was that of a Hoshidan Mechanist, just with a few modifications which differed from the original. He had a warm smile and tired eyes, which seemed to scan the both of them as they stared back.

"I am Yukimura, one of Queen Mikoto's retainers and her personal Tactician." He bowed. His gaze shifted to Roger. "I do believe I have heard of you, Lord Dazuachi, or do you prefer Lord Marren?"

"Either is fine, but for now, please call me Roger. I was never one for formalities." Roger bowed in response. "I believe you've received my notes and battle journal?"

"Correct, and they are a tremendous help. I didn't even know that the Nohrian Malig Knights were susceptible to both Ice _and_ Wind magic." His smile grew for a moment. "But back to what I was saying, would you like me to translate her reading material into the common tongue for you? I am fluent in both Nohrian and Hoshidan tongues."

"If you would, then please and thank you." Roger pulled a small watch from his tunic and checked the time. "Hmm, when would you be finished with the translations?"

"The morning two days from today at the absolute latest. Is that sufficient?"

"Perfect." Roger checked his watch again and sighed. "Would you happen to know where Lady Azura is? She asked to meet with me while I was in the infirmary."

"I believe she is at her normal spot in the garden."

"Thanks, until our next meeting." Roger grabbed his bag and dashed out.

"Strange fellow, that one." Yukimura muttered. "Even after working for the King of Nohr for several years, he simply handed his important information and strategies without any resistance? Odd. Truly odd."

"That's kinda been Roger's thing though." Caitlyn replied. "Compared to everyone else I've known or talked too, he's always been a wild card. He doesn't seem to stick to one personality for very long until switching to something more casual and open." Caitlyn picked up the quill Roger was using and twirled it between her fingers. "If I have to be honest, I find it kinda funny."

"Funny?"

"Yeah, I mean, one moment he can be telling jokes and making people laugh, and then the other, I'll find him comforting one of the soldiers after a rough patch." A small smile spread across her face. "I've seen him do so much for the army and my siblings back in Nohr, I can't really see how he's Nohrian at all."

"Perhaps he is truly a pure-blooded Hoshidan, but his mother remarried and moved to Nestra because of his father? I have heard Kaze call him Lord Marren a few times, and from what I've heard and read, the only other Marren who's known in this world is Commander Xavier Marren, one of Nohr's best Bow Knights."

"Maybe? I dunno…" Caitlyn dropped the quill back into the ink bottle and rested her head on her hand. A look of dejection on her normally calm face. "Roger's past has been kept a mystery from me, Jakob, Felicia and all of my other friends. I think the only person who knows the whole truth besides him, is Prince Xander. He's the only other person to know him for long enough."

"...Perhaps you should leave this subject alone for now." Yukimura placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're still adjusting to this new life, so straining yourself with a thought like that is most likely too much at the moment."

"Yeah…" She stood up and stretched. "I guess you're right."

Yukimura looked at the saddened princess and frowned. "Lady Caitlyn, would you like a tour of the castle to ease your mind? I am free for today, and making Lord Roger's translated papers shouldn't take me more than a few hours at worst."

"That would be nice, thank you, Yukimura."

* * *

"Hey! Azura!" Roger called to the azure-haired princess. She turned and watched him run up to the edge of the boardwalk where she was waiting, she noticed his new shirt and look of exhaustion and cocked her head in curiosity. "What's up?"

"Why do you look so tired? And why are you wearing that shirt?"

"Eh… to answer the second question, my original shirt is kinda filthy, ya know, from the blood and ichor. And to answer the first…" He averted her gaze and stared at a far off cherry-blossom tree. "I… may have ran all the way here from the Library…"

Azura giggled at Roger's embarrassed expression. She found the young Lord oddly amusing, and she started seeing why Caitlyn liked him so much. He was awkward and a little loose-minded at times, but he was still sweet, kind, intelligent and funny with a slight note of seriousness. She sighed and regained her previous expression.

"I asked you to come here because of something I saw last night."

"And what would that be?"

"That necklace underneath your clothing." Roger stiffened at the mention of his relic. "I noticed a small glow while we were humming, which means it has a unique property, and I want to test why it glowed."

"L-Look, Azura, as much as I would like to help you, this little charm of mine is off-limits." Roger pulled the silver charm from his tunic and Azura's eyes widened at the design. It was the exact same style as hers, just with a silver colour and an amber crystal in place of her dulled platinum and her aquamarine crystal. "I really wish I could tell you how I even got this-"

"Let me see it." Roger looked at her in surprise. "I… want to compare it to mine."

"I… guess that's okay." He undid the little clasp and handed it to her hesitantly. "Just… be careful."

She nodded and took her own necklace off, then held the two side by side and marvelled at the near-identical pieces of jewelry. The design of the metallic charm, and the crystal shape was the exact same, the only telltale differences were the colour of the metal and crystal. She ran her fingers over the amber crystal of Roger's necklace and felt a strange, warm energy, unlike the cool feeling she had when her necklace was on. She put her own necklace on and kept hold of Roger's, an idea forming in her head.

"Roger, you can sing right?"

"That's… an odd question out of the blue."

"Just… humor me for a moment."

"Yeah, I can sing a little."

She placed the necklace around his neck. "Then can you sing the song I was singing last night?"

"Wait, really?" She shot him a serious glare. "Okay, okay. I'll give it a shot."

Roger cleared his throat and sighed, waiting for a moment of pure silence. Once the breeze stood still, he took a deep breath and began to sing the song.

" _You are the ocean's grey waves, destined to seek._ "

" _Life beyond the shore, just out of reach._ "

" _Yet, the waters, ever change. Flowing like time._ "

" _The path is yours to climb._ "

Roger stopped and waited, wondering what would happen. A minute passed. Then two minutes. Then three minutes passed without anything happening. He looked at his necklace and frowned. Both a little annoyed and disappointed at the result.

"Was something supposed to happen?"

Azura glanced at the amber crystal and saw nothing, not even a little glimmer. She didn't understand what had caused it before. He sang the same song, and she expected the same results, yet his necklace never even reacted. She just couldn't figure out why it wouldn't react. Azura sighed and turned back to face the lake, her face slightly upset and a little disappointed. She sighed and sat down on the little patch of sand that lead into the lake, her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, keeping them in place.

Roger sighed and sat down next to her, holding one of his knees with his arms and looking at the now setting sun. "Nice view, isn't it?"

"..."

"Azura…" He sighed. "Look. I know you think you and I are connected in some way,"

"Wh-Wha?! H-How did-"

"But, I'm sorry to say that whatever you're thinking is wrong." Roger let go of his knee and switched to a cross-legged position. He grabbed his necklace and held it up so he could see it. "All you need to know about this necklace is that it was my mother's parting gift when I was taken to Nohr. Sure, it has this weird little effect whenever a strong source of magic is around, and it lights up when I use a little of my mana reserves, but other than that, it's just a little piece of jewelry." He let it drop and hit his mail, clinking lightly against the silver chains. "I think I can say that you had an expectation that your charm and mine were connected in some way and that what we did proved you wrong."

"I.. I'm sorry. I just-"

Roger flicked her nose to quiet her. "Stop." He stood up and held a hand out to her. "Now stand up." She took his hand and stood up. "Take a deep breath." She did as he asked. "And punch me in the chest."

"Wh-What!?"

"I said, punch me in the chest. I can tell you're a little annoyed and you want to vent out a little anger," He pulled his chainmail off and set it at his feet. "So, I'd be willing to take a hit or two so you can vent."

"But why…?"

"Because you're like my little sister." She cocked her head in confusion. "She was always bottling her emotions up like an idiot so she always broke down at the littlest of things and she never wanted any help with them. So, after a whole lot of tears and arguing, I took it upon myself to help her vent out any anger and frustration she stored by letting her beat the piss out of me."

"Really?"

"My little sister's a lightweight," He put his hand just below his heart. "About this tall, about two years younger and with a surprising amount of muscle. Honestly, it was fun to fight against her whenever she had one of her fits, because it was the best kind of training." He placed his hands behind his back and stood firm. "So, hit me as hard as you can. Don't hold back."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Azura. I literally just said to punch me in the chest without any hesitation. Can I get any more serious?" Roger took his necklace off and set it on top of his mail. "Now then, hit me."

Azura raised her fist and held it ready, looking at Roger with a worried expression. Roger simply smiled and nodded. She reeled her arm back and sighed, her look of worry changing to a look of pure anger and focus as she threw her fist into Roger's chest. A dull thump followed as Roger fell on his butt from the force. Although her frame and body looked dainty, Azura had an impressive amount of strength underneath her thinly sculpted muscles. She gasped as Roger fell and coughed from the punch, the wind seemingly knocked out of him.

"Roger! I am so, so sorry!"

"Damn Azzy… you hit hard." Roger coughed, rubbing the spot where Azura had hit him. "Guess you're a lot stronger than you look! Ha ha!"

Azura looked astonished. Roger had just taken a punch directly to his chest and had shrugged if off that easily? Is he a masochist or something? "Wha… What did you call me?"

"Huh? I… called you Azzy. Thought it would be a nice nickname since you and I have to get to know one another."

"I've… never been called anything other than Azura before." She smiled. "I… kinda like it."

"See!" Roger quickly stood up and locked her in a half hug. "Told you letting out a little stress via physical contact would work like a charm!" He released her and put his mail and necklace back on. "Now, since the sun is setting, and I'm getting kinda hungry, should we go see if dinner's ready?" Azura smiled and nodded. "Sweet! Then let's go!"

The two of them raced back to the castle, a smile on their faces as they tried to outpace one another.

* * *

"So you let her do what?" Caitlyn asked curiously as Roger nursed his bruised chest.

"I let her punch me in the chest so she could vent out some of her built up anger." Roger winced as he touched the area where Azura had punched him. "And I have to admit, she may look weak, but there is a surprising amount of strength in that thin-looking form of hers."

Caitlyn sighed and popped him in the shoulder. "You're a dork and a masochist, you know that, right?"

"And this is supposed to be fresh news?" The two of them shared a laugh as Roger pulled a vulnerary out from his bag and sipped some of the bitter medicine. He shuddered as the soreness and bruise faded away. "So, how was your second day here?"

"Pretty good, I guess."

"Do tell."

"Well, the day began with me waking up in one of the softest beds I could ever imagine sleeping in, and then I had tea with my retainer, potential sisters, elder brother and mother, after that I went to the library and studied for a while with Sakura, then you showed up and started a rough translation of my work, then Yukimura gave me a tour of the castle, and then to end it you and I are eating our food back here in my room." She sipped her tea and smiled. "All in all, I had a very nice day. How was yours?"

"Well, I guess the start was nearly the same, only difference is that I woke up to see the sight of a black-haired beauty standing over me." Caitlyn blushed slightly but kept listening. "After the tea, I went to the training yard and had a quick spar with Ryoma, which ended in me getting my ass handed to me and getting sent to the infirmary with a few minor cuts from the lacquer shards and a small gash from Ryoma's sword." Roger gulped down the last of his tea and continued while pouring another cup. "Then Ryoma escorted me to the castle infirmary and there I waited for a about half an hour until Sakura showed up and closed my injuries. After that, the younger prince, Takumi, "subtly" interrogated me and just put me in a worse mood since I was still a little groggy from the minor blood-loss." He took a long drink from his cup. "Then I went to the library and did a little work with you, which as you saw, didn't go very far. And then I went to see Azura in the garden, which was nice until she brought up my necklace, then we got a little heated, I felt sorry for upsetting her and then I let her punch me in the chest." He drained the last of his cup and sighed. "Which lead up to this. So, all in all, my day was mediocre at best, shitty at worst."

"Language!"

"Sorry…" Roger stood up, walked over to his bed (Which Yukimura had set up while Roger was out with Ryoma), removed his "stompers" and laid down. "I'm just… really tired."

"We both are," She sat down on the edge of the bed. "You more than me, but still tired nonetheless."

"Amen to that." Roger rolled onto his side so Caitlyn could sit more comfortably. "Guess we'll have to keep adjusting as time goes on. And as Leo always told me, "Nothing comes instantly. You'll always need to put in the time to make something feel natural"."

"Leo said that? I never knew he could be that philosophical."

"Remember, I grew up around him. I know a lot of things about Xander and the others that you don't." Roger paused for a moment and tried to remember something. "For example, even though she was older than me, Camilla came to me whenever she had boy troubles."

"Really?" Roger nodded. "Why?"

"Because at that point, I was still taller than her and I still treated her like my timid little sister." He chuckled weakly. "I still think my favorite "Androphobic Camilla" moment is when she was 14 and I was 13."

"Oh, now I've got to hear this."

Roger chuckled. "Okay, here's how it went. It was in the end of the Winter cycle, so it was the day of the "New Year" ball, so all of the other Lords and Ladies had showed up and they all brought any of their male children to see if they could be a suitor for Camilla. So, about halfway through the party, Xander and I were talking to a few of the more "respectful" boys-"

"Respectful?"

"The ones who didn't hound Camilla."

"Ah, please continue."

"So we were talking, then two of the servants had asked for Xander and I to find Camilla, because no-one had seen her for an hour or so. Being her elder brother figures, we split up and started to search the castle. As we searched, we found a few scraps of a violet dress, the same kind of dress Camilla wore that day, and that terrified the heck out of both of us. So we followed a small trail to find one of her potential suitors, who was a whole five years older than her, banging on the door to her bedroom, demanding she come out and come back to the party." Roger grinned as he continued. "We didn't know at the time, but he was a little drunk and was clearly misaligned. So, Xander and I tried to talk him down and get him to go back to the party, but all that did was piss him off more, to the point where he threatened to kill us if we got between him and his "love"."

"And let me guess… you two beat him up?"

"Laid him out and left him for the guards." He chuckled. "That was the first jaw I ever broke."

"Really?"

"Are you gonna keep interrupting me? Or do you want me to stop and go to sleep. Because this in the one thing keeping me up right now."

"Sorry, please continue."

"So after the guards came and relieved us of his drunken and battered form and then we turned our attention to Camilla, who had still locked herself in her room and wasn't going to come out until the party was over. We tried for a solid half an hour with no progress, so I told Xander to go back and enjoy the party while I stayed there. And after he left, I decided to try and reason with her by asking if I could come in and talk." He rolled back onto his back and Caitlyn rested her head on his chest as she listened. "So, after a good five to ten minutes of convincing, Camilla allowed me into her room. After asking why she wouldn't come enjoy the party, she said that none of the boys there interested her and she didn't want anything to do with them. And the last guy was being so pushy, he grabbed Camilla's dress when she tried to run, which explained the scraps of cloth, and she ran all the way to her room and then locked the door until he gave up."

"Which only happened because of you and Xander." Roger nodded. "Wow. I never would've thought that Camilla of all people would've been afraid of boys when she was young. But that begs a new question." She turned her head so she stared at Roger's face. "Why wasn't she scared of you or Xander?"

"Androphobia has weird ways of working, apparently Xander was fine because he was family and I was fine because of all the training we did together." Roger ruffled Caitlyn's hair with his free hand and smiled. "Alright Cait, I think we should get some shuteye. So it's time to get up."

"But you're so comfy~…" She started to push Roger aside so she could lie next to him.

"And yet I'm still going to do this," Roger sat up and scooped Caitlyn into his arms. The princess yelped at the sudden motion as Roger carried her to her bed and placed her down gently. "Just because you're my superior, doesn't give you the right to sleep next to me. Unless we somehow end up as husband and wife." He kissed the crown of her head and ruffled her hair. "Goodnight Cait, see you in the morning."

Caitlyn pouted for a second before falling back onto her bed. She yawned and looked at Roger one final time. She smiled as he was drawing something out in a little brown journal by the light of his necklace, the calming amber glow filling the room with a pleasant, warm aura. Soon enough, Caitlyn's eyes felt heavy and she succumbed to the peaceful state of sleep.

* * *

 ** _End of Prelude 1…_**

 ** _A/N:_** So… this was my first hand-written chapter and probably one of the more annoying chapters to write. But hey, at least we got to find out more about Roger's past, even if it was small parts. And now we get a little insight about Roger's neat little trinket, but what it does will wait until the next chapter.

Also, the polls close on December 8th. So, if you want to vote, please do so by then.

And now to read through a few of the responses from the questions in the last chapter…

 ** _Sugouxxx:_** Actually, Roger's base class is Mercenary, so him becoming a class along those lines is possible. However, I wouldn't count magic & mounted classes out just yet.

 ** _TheUnknownUser2_** : Again, a magic wielding class is a possibility, but we'll have to wait until around Chapter 7 or Chapter 8 to see our first few promotes.

 ** _Dragnarock (I hope I didn't butcher it):_** Sadly a shape-shifting class is out of his reach. Roger is a Branded, so he won't be able to access a Dragon form at any point.

* * *

 _(And since most of you don't know this version of Roger, the here's his Character from Chapter 2, where he joins you for the first time)_

 _Name: Roger Dazuachi Marren_

 _Title: Mysterious Mercenary_

 _Level: 2_

 _~ HP: 22_

 _~ STR: 10_

 _~ MAG: 3_

 _~ SKL: 13_

 _~ SPD: 14_

 _~ DEF:3 (+5)_

 _~ RES: 4_

 _~ LUK: 7_

 _~ MOV: 5_

 _Skills & Weapon Ranks:_

 _~ Swords: D/B Rank_

 _~ Character Unique: "Tactical Retreat": User gains +5 Dodge & Avoid for every 10 HP lost. Capped at +20._

 _~ Good Fortune: Chance of recovering 20% of Unit's HP at the start of a turn. (LUK% Chance)_

 _Inventory:_

 _~ Alondite: ( "D" Rank, Roger Only. |16 Mt|80% Hit|5% Crit|-5 Avo|-5 Dod|1-2 Rng|. +5 Defense to Wielder)_

 _~ Concoction: (Restores 20 HP to user. 2 Charges)_

 _~ Vulnerary: (Restores 10 HP to user. 3 Charges)_

 _Available Reclasses:_

 _~ Troubador_

 _~ Archer_


	7. Chapter 5: Mother

_**Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 5: Mother**_

* * *

The next two days passed in which Caitlyn barely spoke to anyone. She drifted around the castle grounds and camped herself in the library like a specter, desperately trying to grasp at long forgotten memories that drifted at the edge of her mind, just out of reach. It infuriated her, the feeling of something that he should know but couldn't remember. Interacting with her 'family' and Roger only made things worse, as they all brought up memories from her past, while Roger tried to keep her mind off of her siblings. She knew they were just trying to help her remember, and that Roger was trying to ease her mind, but in the end it only frustrated her further. Instead, she kept to herself in contemplative silence, trying her best to sort through the complicated mess her life had become.

That was how she found herself in the royal garden, lying under a cherry blossom tree with another textbook in her hands. She breathed in the scent of fresh life, and felt the memories of time spent here tickle at the corner of her mind. She wouldn't chase them. If she chased them, she'd lose them. Sighing again, she gave up and closed the book. Maybe she'd never remember. She'd just have to make new memories, right? Hinoka, Ryoma, Sakura and Azura had all accepted her as their sister, giving her space and accepting that she barely ate during their extravagant meal times. But somehow, she felt that she couldn't relax there. For as long as she couldn't remember them, she couldn't really call them her family. What if it wasn't true? What if her real family was back in Nohr, waiting for her? Despite the evidence to the contrary, Caitlyn couldn't let the thought go. So, she laid back down under the tree with the book under her head, trying her best to recall.

"You look tired."

Caitlyn opened her eyes, expecting to see Hinoka, Azura or even Roger trying to strike up a conversation to her. She sat bolt upright when she instead saw the dark blue hair and maid uniform of Lilith. The Astral Dragon stepped over a small stream and walked towards her. "I'm so, so sorry for leaving you, Caitlyn. Please forgive me."

Caitlyn got up from the ground, brushing the pink petals off her clothing. "Lilith! Where did you go? I called for you, but you didn't come."

She sighed. "I know. And I'm sorry. But I had to let you find out the truth. I... Didn't have the courage to tell you myself."

Caitlyn stared at her hard. "You knew, then? For how long?"

"I overheard it once, when Garon was discussing it with Xander in one of his visits. I... Didn't want to tell you. It would have torn your world apart. But when Rinkah found you, I decided it would be good for you to learn the truth straight from the horse's mouth, as it were."

She sighed. She could see she was genuinely sorry, and she wasn't one to hold grudges. "I suppose. So then, I truly am of Hoshido."

"You still suspect otherwise?"

"No, not really. Just one last niggling thought in my mind. Where have you been these last days?"

"Exploring. It has been a long time since I was in Hoshido last. I took the opportunity to see how it's changed." She smiled slightly. "Typically for this place, it hasn't much."

Caitlyn shrugged. "So then, why are you here now?"

Lilith fidgeted with a stray thread on her dress. "I wanted to let you know... I'm still here for you. I feel terrible about leaving you behind. I'll always be there when you call."

Caitlyn grinned. "Genuinely, this time?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. No matter what, I will always watch over you." She looked towards the garden entrance. "I also came to tell you about another matter, but it seems Sakura and Roger approach to tell you themselves. You will see me again."

Caitlyn glanced towards the door, and then back to Lilith. Except she had vanished, a pure white swallow flapping its wings over the garden walls. The doors opened, and sure enough Sakura walked out with her healing staff in hand, and talking to Roger. They looked over at Caitlyn curiously.

"Big s-sister? Were you talking to somebody?

Deciding that this wasn't the best time to explain about the Astral Dragon that followed her everywhere, Caitlyn shook her head. "No, nobody. What do you need?"

Sakura pointed inside. "M-Mother would like to speak to you. I mean, if that's not too much trouble."

Caitlyn smiled. Sakura reminded her of Elise, except a thousand times more timid. You could drop a pin in her presence and it would still startle her. "No, it's no trouble. Sitting out here moping and reading the same chapter over and over certainly isn't going to help anybody."

She followed after Sakura and Roger, who had already vanished back inside. Ironically, Sakura was the sibling she felt the least tension towards, mainly because both of them were getting to know each other for the first time. She had just been born when she was taken, and therefore there was no pre-existing relationship she didn't remember like with Hinoka. She could just talk with Sakura, and when you sat her down for a conversation she certainly could do that. Thanks to Yukimura giving her a tour of the basic layout of the castle, she made her way to the main hall, where she now knew was also the throne room. Queen Mi- Her mother was already waiting for her up by the ornately styled throne.

"You look as though you're feeling a little better after a few days on your own, Caitlyn." She looked at Roger as he stood at attention beside her. "And you're dear retainer seems healthier as well."

Caitlyn nodded. She greatly appreciated that Mikoto had given them the space they needed. It must have been very difficult for the poor woman to stay away from the daughter she had just had returned to her. "Yes, I think I am. I still have so many questions, but at least now I have a few answers. Thank you for giving me the space to think, and the time for both of us to adjust."

Her mother smiled warmly. "Of course. I'm glad you're feeling better." She turned towards the golden throne. "Sweetie, this may seem strange, but I have a favor to ask of you."

Caitlyn shrugged. "Alright. What is it?"

"Would you try sitting on this throne for a minute or two?"

She looked at her hesitantly, and Roger stepped in front of her. Mikoto expected as such since Roger has been protecting her for years. "Why?"

"Apart from seeing how you look on it? Well... This throne is actually the source of a Dragon Vein, infused with the power of the first dragons. It is said those who sit upon this throne regain their true mind and form. I thought that if you sat upon the throne, then-"

Caitlyn frowned, jumping to the unsavory conclusion. "Wait. Do you not trust me? Do you think I'm under some kind of Nohrian spell?"

Queen Mikoto shook her head quickly, raising a hand in placation. "No! It has nothing to do with trust. I just wondered if your memory loss was because the Nohrians cast some kind of spell on you. If so, then maybe this throne could release you from it. Bring those memories back. Those sweet memories of me and you siblings."

Caitlyn deflated, feeling rather foolish that she had jumped to the worst conclusion. "I see. Sorry for misunderstanding."

Her mother shrugged, turning away from the throne back to her. "No, I'm sorry for pushing all this on you. I don't want to force you to do something you don't want."

Caitlyn looked at the throne. Why didn't she want to sit down on it? It could bring back all her memories. Surely, that would fix a lot of things, right? Cautiously, she walked towards the throne. "No. I'll do it. You've been so patient, so kind, it's only fair that I do my part in trying to regain my memories."

"Just… be careful Cait." Roger pleaded.

She turned around and sat down on the throne. She felt the familiar power of a Dragon Vein shimmering under her. Ganglari began to pulse faster, gaining more energy simply by being near it. No question, the throne was a powerful object. She waited for it to do something. Waited. And waited. And kept waiting. After a full minute of anxiously waiting, she felt nothing different.

Queen Mikoto sighed, disappointment clear on her face. "At least this shows the Nohrians had the decency to not corrupt your memories. No spell is cast upon you, my child. Just the passage of time dulling your memory." She smiled again. "That's fine. It just means we have to wait a little longer for them to come back. Don't worry, Caitlyn. I can wait as long as it takes."

Caitlyn smiled back and stood up from the throne. Quite apart from being an artifact of immeasurable power, it was also very comfortable. She almost didn't want to get up off it. At the far end of the hall, another person walked into the room. Caitlyn noticed the new figure and recognized him immediately.

"Oh, hey Yukimura! What brings you here?"

The robed man bowed deeply. "Pardon the intrusion, Queen Mikoto, Princess Caitlyn, but the ceremony is about to begin."

She raised a hand to her mouth. "Goodness, already? I must have completely lost track of time." She smiled and sighed. "Caitlyn, you may have already met him, and probably don't remember him fully, but this is Yukimura. He's our prime strategist, and one of the reasons Nohr hasn't overrun us yet."

Yukimura laughed. "You are too kind, Milady. You yourself deserve far more credit. That said, it is good to see you again, Princess Caitlyn. I am here to help you at any time."

Before the conversation could continue, the rest of the royals entered the throne hall. Ryoma, dressed in his full battle dress, Hinoka in her Pegasus rider gear and Sakura in a simple Priestess robe. The door was almost thrown off its hinges as the fourth sibling walked in, Takumi. Caitlyn was aware that her 'brother' had arrived at the castle a couple days ago, but Takumi had made no attempt to make contact with her so Caitlyn had decided not to seek him out either. He had a long head of darkened platinum-blonde hair, and drawn back into a long ponytail the reached all the way down to him back. Even in the sanctuary of the castle, he still carried his sacred bow, the Fujiin Yumi. Lastly, Azura quietly stepped into the room, trying not to be noticed.

Mikoto smiled as all of her children stood before her at last. "Thank you for all coming. I have decided to make a public announcement about Caitlyn's arrival here. There have been rumors circulating about how she is just a captured Nohrian princess, and I would like to crush those rumors once and for all. Yukimura, is everything ready?"

The tactician nodded. "Yes, milady. People are already beginning to gather at the plaza."

The Queen of Hoshido smiled. "Excellent, thank you. Takumi, Hinoka, Sakura, would you mind terribly if you gave her a tour of the city? I thought she might like to know the area before the event. Oh, and before I forget," She turned to Roger and Azura. "Roger, Azura, would you mind going with them?"

Hinoka nodded. "Absolutely. We'll be happy to show her around."

Takumi shrugged. "As you command, mother."

Azura dipped her head. "It would be my pleasure."

Roger nodded curtly and smiled. "'Tis my job as her bodyguard, Queen Mikoto."

Their mother bowed to them slightly. "Thank you. If you'd excuse me, I need to speak with Yukimura first, but I'll join you at the plaza soon." With that, she walked down and out of the hall, Yukimura already discussing matters with her. Once she was out the door, the nobles dispersed slightly. Ryoma excused himself, saying he had to clean his armor before the ceremony. Caitlyn stood next to Azura and Roger.

"Thank you two coming along."

The Nohrian princess and half-blood smiled. "Not at all. Anything to get you away from moping around the castle."

"Cait, I still think you keep forgetting my promise on purpose." Roger grinned. He ruffled her hair again, since he knew she hated it when he mucked up her hair.

"Hey! Knock that off!" Caitlyn batted his hand away and punched him in the shoulder. Roger just laughed as Caitlyn's cheeks were dusted a faint pink. "You know I hate that..."

"And that's why I do it." Roger shifted his gaze downwards to Sakura. "Shall we be going?"

Sakura smiled, grabbing Caitlyn's hand and pulling her towards the door. She was almost as confident as Elise when she got passionate about something. "Come on, Caitlyn! I can't wait to show you around. I think you'll l-love it here."

Smiling, she followed her younger sister out of the hall, followed by Azura, Hinoka, Roger and much more distantly by Takumi. As they walked towards the castle exit, Mikoto watched them from a distance.

"I hope Caitlyn is truly okay with this..."

Yukimura shrugged. "Yes. I can't imagine the position she's in. It's a lot to process. That said, I do think she looks happy there."

Mikoto smiled. "Yes, I'm sure she is. I just can't help but worry."

Yukimura laid a hand on the queen's shoulder. "Leave worrying to me, Milady. Simply focus on the fact that you have your daughter back. It is alright for the Queen of Hoshido to be happy, you know."

"I know. And truly, I've never felt happier than I have now. I just... Don't ever want to lose it."

Yukimura decided that now was not the time to tell his Queen about the suspicious amount of Nohrian forces amassing on the Northern border.

* * *

The city square was full of more people than Caitlyn had ever seen in one place. She could barely move through the crowd, full of vibrant banners and bartering voices and the sweet aromas of various foods on sale. The old woman manning the stall she was currently trying to move past grabbed her sleeve.

"Hey, young lass! Would you like to try a sample of one of our world famous roast potatoes? They're delicious and nutritious! I swear you'll love 'em!"

It was just a free sample, right? Caitlyn reasoned. "Well... Sure, why not?" She took a small handful of the thinly sliced potatoes. Taking a bite, it was unlike anything she had ever eaten. "Mmmm! I've never tasted spices like this before. These are amazing!"

The old lady grinned. "Heh, thanks. I call 'em chips. I swear, these things are the future!" She pointed a wrinkled finger at Azura and Roger, who were having a similar problem trying to move through the crowd. "Here, take a basket on the house, give some to your friends! Just tell your other friends about 'em!"

Caitlyn took the small thatch basket filled with the strange, thinly sliced potatoes. "Well, thank you very much!" She turned around, basket in hand. "Hey, Roger! Azura! Do you want some?"

Smiling politely, Azura took one or two of them. But Roger held his hand up as if to say "no thank you." "Thank you, Caitlyn. That's very kind of you."

"What, do you two not like them?"

"Err, no, it's just... They're rather salty, aren't they?"

Roger rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Not a fan of vinegar, doesn't sit well…"

Caitlyn shrugged. As far as she was concerned, having heavy salt and vinegar was the only way to eat these things. "Well, maybe. Still, it was kind of her to give them to us, wasn't it? Everyone is really friendly here. And it's so... Bright. It's quite a contrast from the fortress I grew up in."

"I'm glad you like it. Like I said, I've always been happy here."

A new voice cut in from behind Caitlyn. "Just don't get too comfortable, 'sister'."

Caitlyn turned to face Takumi, who had pushed his way through the crowd to them. "I'm sorry?"

The Hoshidan grimaced. "I'm saying, don't settle in too much. Shouldn't you be heading back to Nohr soon?"

Azura sighed, apparently well used to this. "Takumi..."

"Hey, who said you could call me by that name? You haven't earned that privilege either. Call me Lord, or Prince, if you must speak to me at all."

Caitlyn stared at him, dumbfounded. "That doesn't even make any sense. She's been in Hoshido as long as I've been gone. Shouldn't that be enough to consider her family?"

Takumi shrugged. "I don't care. I don't trust any of you. I just wanted to say that to your face." With that, the began prince stalked back into the crowd, until Roger grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back over. "Ow! What the hell are you doing?!"

"You will apologize." Roger growled. " **Now**."

"No! I have no need to- argh!" Roger tightened his grip as the knuckles beneath his gloves whitened.

"I said **NOW**."

"Fine… just let go." Roger released his grip. Takumi brushed his sleeve off and sighed. "I'm sorry for my attitude. Now can I go?"

"Yes." Takumi turned and vanished into the crowd. " _Prick_."

"Roger!" She flicked his ear. "Language!"

"Ow..." He rubbed his earlobe and sighed. "I'm sorry for speaking my mind then, geez Cait…"

Azura sighed. "Well, not everyone can be kind, I suppose. Don't let it get to you, he's like that even to his actual siblings."

Caitlyn was about to reply, until she felt a soft tug on her cape. Looking to the left, she saw Sakura had made her way through the crowd and was trying to get her attention over the noise. "Hello, Sakura."

"I'm so sorry for losing you in the crowd! I got quite lost there for awhile." She looked at the sour looks on their faces, and then at the rapidly retreating form of Takumi. "Is he being mean again? I apologize for Takumi's rudeness. He's a bit of a hot head."

Caitlyn sighed, taking another chip from the basket. "Don't worry. Roger took care of it, but I just don't understand why he's so hostile."

Sakura shrugged. "Honestly, I think he's a little jealous. Ryoma's the crown prince, you're the long lost daughter everyone is searching for, and then he gets stuck in the middle. He can't help but feel a little ignored."

"... It still doesn't excuse him from his poor attitude." Caitlyn muttered.

Hinoka burst through the crowd, catching sight of Caitlyn, Roger and Azura. "There you are! Come on, mother sent me. The ceremony is starting!"

Caitlyn followed Hinoka and Sakura up to the podium, where Queen Mikoto had just stepped up to. The whole royal family made their way onto the podium, much to the glee of the crowd, who all clapped and cheered. Caitlyn thought back to Windmire, where the people had bowed in respect and fear. Certainly not ecstatic clapping and cheers. Stepping up onto the main podium, Caitlyn felt dizzied by the huge crowd in front of her. She hoped that mother didn't call her to speak. With a wave of her hand, Queen Mikoto brought the crowd to silence. It was quite surprising how such a small woman could command such power, but she managed it.

"Greetings, loyal people of Hoshido. I have called this assembly so that you in the capital can be the first to hear of some glorious, and wonderful news. I hope that soon it shall spread across the entire kingdom." She gestured to Caitlyn. "Many have heard rumors of a Nohrian royal who recently took up residence in the castle. Well, those of you with long memories will know that, many years ago, when we lost the great King Sumeragi..." She paused, gathering herself. "My husband, we also lost a princess. Nohr kidnapped my child, forever stealing the life she should have had."

Many of the older people in the crowd nodded, some of the them looking angry. There were a few shouts of 'Nohrian scum!' from the back. Roger simply sighed and continued to watch as Mikoto continued.

"But as sad as the past is, I am here to celebrate the present. For the gods have been kind to me, and returned what I once thought to be lost. I present to you, Prince Caitlyn of Hoshido, returned from the land of Nohr."

There was stunned silence for a moment. Then, scattered applause, picking up into a raucous shout that filled the courtyard. This wasn't just about the returned princess, although many were glad for that as well. No, it was more that Hoshido had managed to pull one over Nohr. Finally, after so many years of losses, they had finally won something from Nohr. Caitlyn stared into the ecstatic crowd. She couldn't see a single face that wasn't laughing, smiling or cheering. Except...

Right near the front, a strange hooded figure stood. His dark blue cloak covered his entire body, with not a single inch of skin exposed. They simply stood there, arms folded, not moving a muscle. Caitlyn felt Ganglari twitch at her side. Was the man a danger? He still hadn't moved an inch. What was his game? She was dragged from her musings by her mother, who gently took her hand.

"My daughter, I am sorry to thrust this upon you, but I think it would be good for you to speak to the people. It has been so long since you were last here, many of them do not know you at all. Remind them of who you are, and where you stand with them."

Caitlyn groaned internally. Leo and Xander had tried their best to instill the skill of public speaking into her, but even in front of an audience of two she had stuttered and struggled, and that was when she had a script to read off. An ad-lib speech in front of an entire capital city? She sighed. Well, there was nothing like a trial by fire. She walked forward, clearing her throat. Caitlyn was so nervous that she didn't notice Ganglari was beginning to tremble, dark red smoke pouring off the blade. With a creak, a single dark eye opened on the hilt. Ganglari had been fully awakened.

Roger noticed the blade awaken immediately and felt a warm sensation at his chest. He pulled his amulet out and saw that the jewel was glowing brighter than ever before. He glanced towards the hooded figure and saw that he was slowly moving forward. _'What is going- oh no.'_ And in an instant, his amulet glowed brighter as a thin amber barrier surrounded him. "What the hell?"

"Um, well, first of all-"

Caitlyn made it no further in her speech. With a burst of red energy, Ganglari flew off her hip and straight into the crowd. The mysterious figure in the blue hood reached up their hand and caught it effortlessly, twirling it like they knew the blade perfectly. Red smoke poured off it, leaving a trail as the figure casually swung it. Every head turned to face the strange event, but they didn't have long to stare. With a grunt, the stranger drove the blade into the ground,creating a shower of black sparks. From the blade of the sword a purple ball of energy was formed, covering the blade in a sphere of destructive power. The figure twisted the blade, and the orb of energy grew outwards exponentially in an instant.

All the villagers nearby were immediately incinerated by the sphere, spare for Roger who was simply being pushed by it, the amber barrier hissing against the purple sphere, which continued to grow until it covered half the square. With a final blast, the orb dissipated, sending a shock wave outwards into the city, entirely flattening buildings nearby and destabilizing others. From the ground zero, several shards of familiar red metal came flying straight towards Corrin and Queen Mikoto. The most ironic thing was, the first thing that came into Caitlyn's mind was that Ganglari could deflect it. Then her mind caught up with what was happening, and realized there was no way to avoid the lethal shards flying right at her.

Then her vision was obscured by the smooth black hair of her mother as she stepped in front of her.

She felt the impacts through her as the shards pierced her body. She was thrown backwards into her, and she barely caught her with the force she was thrown back at. Caitlyn felt herself falling backwards, but she righted herself to be sitting up, her mother lying limp on her lap. She rolled her over, trying to see how badly she was hurt.

"Mother! Are... are you badly injured?"

Queen Mikoto looked up at her daughter, concern written all over her face. "No...you... You're not hurt? Tell me you're okay."

Caitlyn nodded, trying to see where her wounds were. To her shock, she found that there were none. But he had seen the shards fly at her, felt them hit her mother. What were they? "I'm fine. Please, hold on. We need to get you a healer."

Queen Mikoto smiled, her eyes closing. "I'm so... glad..."

She slumped down, limp. Caitlyn stared at her, not believing that her mother was being taken from her so soon after she had found her. She couldn't be dead. That would be far too cruel a fate. She grabbed her shoulders, and shook her.

" **MOTHER!** "

She couldn't be dead, she's not dead. Caitlyn repeated the mantra in her head, trying desperately to convince herself it was true. Distantly, she was aware of Ryoma and Roger leaping at the man in blue with their blades drawn, but her focus was on the woman below her. The woman who had shown her nothing but love, care, patience and attention ever since she had arrived, and expected none in return. How... Why? Caitlyn's mind raced, unable to comprehend why the gods had seen fit to take her mother. WHY?

Caitlyn did not remember much after that. The world became a blur of red and blue, pain and destruction. But Sakura saw all, and what she saw terrified her. Caitlyn became enveloped in a burning red aura, starting at her hands and spreading all over her. It glowed so white hot that she was forced to look away. When next she looked back, it was not her elder sister that stood over the Queen. No, it was a being much more ancient, and fearsome.

Four pointed legs, like the delicate legs of a deer, ending with black feet that looked like human hands. Pure white plated skin, stooped over onto all fours, and with a long neck ending in a head with seemingly no eyes. Sakura recognized it instantly from the painting that hung in the castle. An ancient dragon. Caitlyn had transformed into an ancient dragon. The beast stood, shaky on its legs, standing for the first time. Then, its eyes focused on the man in blue, standing at the far side of the square, having warped away from Ryoma and Roger's combined assault. It pawed the ground with its foot.

Then it let out a roar which stirred the heavens.

The dragon- for it was no longer Caitlyn, not in body nor mind- charged at her mother's attacker, primal fury in every bounding leap it made. It showed no signs of slowing down, bearing straight towards the man in blue. With a display of impressive agility, the mystery man jumped to the side, avoiding the first strike of the dragon.

"Show me... what you've got. Heh. Heh. Heh." A horrible, disembodied voice ripped out from the hooded figure. It was monotone, impossible to discern gender or any other specifics. They drew Ganglari, which was now fully awakened, the eye on the hilt open and squinting around the battlefield with the blade wriggling like a tentacle.

The being snapped its fingers, and around the devastated square a half dozen soldiers appeared. Roger and Ryoma stared at them, their blades drawn. The harder you looked at them, the more they seemed to not truly be there- like a purple haze. Semi visible warriors. They didn't look real.

"Sakura! Hinoka! Get behind me!" Ryoma yelled. "Roger. Follow my lead."

Sakura cowered behind her elder brother, while Hinoka stood next to him with a naginata. She looked at what had once been Caitlyn, trading blows with the cloaked figure. "What is that!?"

Ryoma stared at it, just as astounded at what Caitlyn had become. "An ancient dragon... I thought I'd never see the day..."

He clenched his blade tighter as the flickering figures approached closer. They may not be solid, but he was willing to bet their swords would still cut. For now, he would have to leave the cloaked figure to Caitlyn while they dealt with them.

"Sakura, you're our support. Heal one of us if we get injured. Hinoka, I need you to handle the ones with spears, they have reach over me. Takumi, eliminate whoever you can hit. Roger, I want you by my side. We'll need to work in tandem for efficiency. Azura, I don't expect you to fight. Stay back, defend Sakura if things become difficult."

His commanding voice struck the Royal siblings into motion, stepping into battle stance. Hinoka brandished her nagita, tears in her eyes. "Come and try it, you monsters! You'll pay for what you've done today!"

Seemingly taking it as a challenge, the mystery figures charged at the small Royal party, smiles across their ghostly faces. Takumi loosed an arrow from the Fuujin Yumi which flew right into the head of one of the invaders. The figure dissipated, vanishing completely. He had no time to prepare any more arrows, however, for the horde came upon them and they were in melee combat.

Hinoka stabbed out at one of the two spearmen, trying her best to hit at a gap in their armor. Being barely visible, it made it difficult to figure out exactly where that was. Ryoma forced three of the swordsmen away from the main group, engaging all three of them in a duel. He didn't let up, his divine blade Raijinto crackling with electrical energy. Even when his strikes were blocked, they sent out a burst of lightning which hurt the invaders. Hinoka scored a lucky stab with her nagita, but the invader seemed to hardly notice the pain. He swept his own spear downwards, cracking Hinoka on the head with it. She almost fell over, but remained firm, driving her spear in all the way. Takumi loosed another arrow, this one deflected by a swift sworded invader. Before the swordsman could get any closer, he was quickly ended by a burst of bright violet fire which tore his head off. Takumi looked at Roger for a moment before letting another arrow fly by his head, going right through the eye-socket of another warrior standing behind him. The two of them nodded to each other and returned to their battles. Meanwhile, Sakura sent a healing pulse into Hinoka's body, she spared a glance at how Caitlyn- no, the dragon- was doing.

The Ancient Dragon smashed its feet into the cobbles, cracking them beneath its weight. It had yet to land a single blow on the agile assassin, who darted around the square like a spring, slashing with Ganglari when they had the chance. The dragon was not defeated, but she felt herself tiring with every strike Ganglari laid on her. Strangely, the sword seemed to leave no marks but simply drained her strength and gave her pain. With every strike, she became more angry. More determined. But less powerful. Roaring, she swiped low with her claws. This time she actually managed to clip her opponent, knocking them onto the ground. Before they could get back up, the Ancient Dragon smashed down with her front left leg, trapping the assassin beneath her. With a roar, she began to squeeze.

"Heh. Heh. Heh. Not so fast, lass."

The assassin stabbed Ganglari into her foot, forcing the ancient dragon to let go. They jumped back onto their feet, their hood falling down in the process. If the dragon still had rational thought in its mind, it would have seen that much like the purple invaders this figure was translucent, a light blue shimmer beneath the cloak. Almost like they weren't really there. But the dragon didn't care what they looked like. The dragon just wanted to smash, destroy, rip apart, anything to dispel the rage that coursed through it. With the flick of a tail, she charged at the assassin again.

Ryoma had cut down two of his three opponents, but then the second spearman had joined the final one. He, Roger and Hinoka tried their best to hold them back, but the invisible soldiers always seemed one step ahead. Nothing they tried was working. To make matters worse, the other final invader left standing had pulled a bow out and had begun to fire on them with ghostly, barely visible arrows. The first you knew about them was when they hit you. Ryoma had one embedded in his left arm, and it was greatly affecting his skills. Takumi continued to return fire, trying his best to hit the sniper, but he could barely pick them out against the ruin of the square. Where were they even standing?

"Takumi! To your left!" Azura shouted.

The Hoshidan prince turned, caught a glimpse of purple and fired an arrow off on reflex. The arrow hurled through the air, made of pure energy from the Fuujin Yumi, and hit the invader right between the eyes. Just as well too, because they had been notching an arrow to launch at Sakura. Takumi turned to face Azura.

"I thought I told you not to call me that, Nohrian! Why don't you just drop the act now, seeing as your friends are taking the square?"

Roger growled and with a roar, drove the tip of his sword into the invisible warrior he and Ryoma were dueling and watched as it burst into violet & black ash. " **Takumi! Now is not the time for your bullshit!** " He quickly turned and caught the blade of another warrior. " **And watch out behind you!** "

Takumi turned back to the battle just in time to see a blade diving for his chest. His instinct again saved him as he leaned back, the blade cutting across his loose clothing. A nagita shot past his head, hitting the invader in the chest and killing them. Azura walked past Takumi and picked up the weapon she had thrown. "I am no Nohrian, and these men are not from Nohr. Surely even you can see that."

Looking down at the man on the ground, Takumi saw that the men were indeed not bearing the crest of Nohr on their armor, but rather one he didn't recognize at all. What country did it belong to? Bah, he decided, it would have to wait. Ryoma looked like he was on his last legs, the glimmer in Roger's eyes was fading and Sakura couldn't keep healing them forever. Pulling back the bowstring, an arrow of pure energy formed, which he promptly loosed into one of the last two invaders. The final soldier jumped back, clearly seeing his vast disadvantage. Ryoma stepped after him.

"You've lost! Lay down your arms and we might spare your life!"

Even on the semi visible face, they could all see his look of abject terror. His mouth moved, as if he were trying to speak, but no noise came out. He turned his blade around in his hand, facing the point towards his chest. Too late, Ryoma saw what he was doing.

"No, don't-"

The man stabbed himself through with his own blade, fading away into nothing. They didn't have time to try and figure out what had happened. Looking across to the far side of the square, they saw that the Ancient Dragon was on his last legs, barely keeping standing as the Assassin continued to deliver blow after blow using Ganglari. Ryoma pointed his sword forward.

"Come! We must help our sister!"

Hinoka and Ryoma led the charge, backed up by Azura, Roger and Takumi. Any normal foe would have fled at the sight of five heavily armed and skilled soldiers making a charge, but the ghostly blue figure simply stood there, Ganglari in hand. With a flourish, they drove the blade into the ancient dragon, making it roar in pain. Then, he took a step back, giving a small bow to the approaching royals.

"Good luck... With her..."

With the final parting words, the mysterious blue specter vanished, leaving them with the irate Ancient Dragon. It stamped its feet, searching for the foe it had been fighting. Where was it? Where was her enemy? With an ear splitting roar, she began to stalk forward towards the Royals and Roger. Ryoma held out a hand in placation.

"Caitlyn, it is us! Your siblings! Don't do this!"

The ancient dragon couldn't comprehend the words of the tiny insects before her. They looked like her opponent. If her opponent wasn't here, then they would have to do. Growling, it crouched into a predatory stance. Seeing its malicious intent, Ryoma pointed his blade and Takumi summoned an energy arrow. Roger stood in front of Sakura and tensed up in case of attack.

"Very well then, sister. We will do our best to contain you." He nodded to Takumi. "Hit her leg. Try to keep him from attacking."

Takumi aimed his bow, more than happy to fire at the dragon. But before he could, Azura stepped forward.

" _You are the Ocean's gray waves..._ "

All around her, blue lights began to dance. The amulet around her neck glowed the brightest, seemingly hovering on its chain around her neck. Ryoma tried to grab her, but she ducked away from him and continued to walk towards the ancient dragon.

" _Destined to seek life beyond the shore... just out of reach._ "

The ancient dragon growled, feeling something strange. The song stirred something deep within them, a primal instinct. The dragon didn't like it. It couldn't understand what was happening. The lights pulsed rhythmically, beginning to form a circle around Azura and the Ancient Dragon.

" _Yet, the waters ever change..._ "

The Ancient Dragon leapt forward, pouncing onto Azura in an effort to make her stop singing the song. The blue glow immediately vanished, snuffed out by his sudden attack. Azura cried out in pain. It clenched one clawed hand around her neck, her fragile form completely vulnerable. It could snap her neck, right there, and end the song. But it hesitated. It... knew her. Azura clenched her amulet, willing herself to keep singing.

" _Flowing like time, the path is... yours to climb..._ "

As the glowing lights reached a climax, the Ancient Dragon recognized what it was. Saw who was beneath her. It released Azura, already shrinking down in size. It clutched its head with its hands, two conflicting sets of consciousness fighting each other for control. With a burst of red light, the wings sucked into its back, the arms shrunk, neck shortened and spine rearranged. The red aura blazed brighter, and energy crackled onto the ground. Then, all at once, the Ancient Dragon was gone. Caitlyn sat up, feeling sick and disoriented. She groaned, clutching her head in pain. Memories twisted through her mind, thinking at a million miles a minute. She looked up, locking onto Hinoka.

"I... Remember! I finally remember!"

* * *

Long suppressed memories came to the forefront of her mind, alive and active after the ridiculous stimulant that the Ancient Dragon transformation had given her. A dark night. A man standing before him. Death. Screams. A dark hand, reaching out for her while she tried to get away. It all came back to her. That one night, so many years ago...

"What you're suggesting is outrageous, Garon. I will not agree."

Caitlyn sighed, recognizing that tone of her father's voice. The one he had when he got really mad and stubborn. Any second now, he would start yelling. The young Hoshidan Princess kept playing with her mechanical horse, a gift from Yukimura for her birthday. She didn't know why her father had taken her so far from home, but it was boring here. She always had to be quiet when the two kings were talking, she got lectured by her father about what had happened and what she had to learn, and it had gone on for two days now without any change. She tuned out the increasingly loud voices, winding up the horse again and watching it buck across the floor she sat on.

"Sumeragi, Nohr is desperate. If you do not allow some amenities, then it will take matters into its own hands."

Her father sniffed. "Is that a threat?"

"No, damn you! I'm trying to stop the inevitable conclusion, but your pig headedness is making it very difficult!"

Her father stood, laying a hand on the katana sheathed at his side. "I believe you did just threaten me, Garon. Therefore, these talks are over. Hoshido will NOT be giving up our lands simply because some savage warmongers to the West asked us to!"

Garon growled, punching the table with his fist. "Do the thousands of lives in Nohr not matter to you?"

"I value the lives of my own citizens more. If we give you the Ulwya flatlands, where does it end? Soon you'll be asking for my capital and telling us to live in the sea. No, I will not concede. Perhaps if you had spent time learning to farm instead of conquering your neighbors, you wouldn't have to beg me for my own land."

Caitlyn shrunk down in her seat, sensing her father was very, very angry. She would have to be careful not to make any mistakes when they returned to their accommodating, lest her father take out some of his rage on her. The other king, King Garon, also stood up.

"Hoshido has so much! The entire continent could be fed if you shared it equally!"

Sumeragi turned to face the door. Caitlyn stood as well, sensing it was probably time to leave now. "It is not my concern that you wasted your own, ample land. My people will not want their lands taken from them and given to a people they do not know. Goodbye, Garon. I will be returning to Hoshido now. I will assume any further advances over the Bottomless Canyon to be an act of war."

Sumeragi walked towards the doors of the large meeting hall. His royal guards stepped off the wall and flanked him, walking in step. Caitlyn followed after them, trying to figure out what everyone was so angry about. Whenever they ate a meal at home, there was always so much left over. Surely they could send some of that to Nohr if they were hungry? Maybe just the beans, though. She didn't like eating beans...

"AGHHHHH!"

One of her father's guards cried out in pain, blood spraying from the arrow that embedded itself in his side. The Nohrian archer that had just fired notched another arrow. Sumeragi turned, seeing the situation in an instant. "YOU DARE?!"

Garon drew and axe from his coat, brandishing it menacingly. "No, how dare you, Sumeragi? Have I not made the situation clear? If Nohr does not get food soon, they will starve. When they starve, they look for food anywhere they can find it. Soon, there won't be any in Nohr. One way or another, with or without my order, my people will march on Hoshido. I have tried to resolve this peacefully, but if you will not be convinced with words, then I will fall back on the ways of my ancestors." He gestured to the many Nohr soldiers around the room.

"Fire at will."

Arrows flew from across the room. The royal guards stepped in front of Sumeragi to block the blows, but the doors to escape were locked. Garon stepped forwards, dark energy crackling around his mighty axe. He reached Sumeragi, surrounded by the corpses of his dead guards, clutching and arrow wound to his side. "Nohr will take what it needs, for the good of all!"

Caitlyn backed away, still not noticed by anyone in the room. She wanted to scream, but her voice failed her. She fell back onto her rear, scrambling backwards away from the dark king. Garon drew his axe up. Sumeragi looked across the room at him, frowning. He inclined his head towards the far sliding doors, before coughing up blood. "You can kill me, you vile monster, but you cannot kill the spirit of Hoshido!"

Garon sighed. "I do not intend to, you stubborn man. Hoshido will live as many have, as a benefactor state of Nohr. Die knowing that I will do what you could not. I will unite the continent under one banner, one rule- for the good of all."

He brought the axe down, severing Sumeragi's head from his body. Caitlyn screamed, an ear splitting wail of a child who couldn't understand what was going on. Hadn't understood the significance of the talks. A child who wanted to forget she had ever seen what she just had. Garon whirled around, catching sight of the young child cowering in the corner. One of his men aimed an arrow, but Garon held his hand out in a cation.

"Do not fire. The child does not deserve our hate." He walked towards Caitlyn, placing the axe away on the table. "You poor thing. You shouldn't have been here for this" He knelt down to Caitlyn's height, a thoughtful look on his weathered face. "...I'm sorry, my child, but I'm going to take you away now. Hoshido will not counterattack if I hold their princess in my grasp. Nohr... is not yet ready for a war this large." He held his hand out, grabbing a hold of Caitlyn's wrist. "But it will be. I just need time. Time, and power..."

Garon stood, holding Caitlyn's hand in his. He turned to his men. "Cover Sumeragi's body. Leave it for the Hoshidans to bury, they deserve that much at least. Prepare a carriage, we leave now."

Caitlyn strained her neck, looking behind her as the Nohrian soldiers draped a white sheet over Sumeragi's corpse. She strained against the strange man who was dragging her away, not understanding the words he spoke. Garon dragged her along anyway.

"Do not be afraid. You will not be harmed. Think of yourself... As my child. A Princess of Nohr, for however long you stay with us."

Caitlyn squeezed her eyes shut, clutching to the hand of Garon. Her young mind couldn't understand what was happening. All she knew was that she never wanted to see what had just happened again. Never see another person die. She blotted the incident from memory, forcing herself not to think about the corpse just a few meters away from her.

"My child..."

* * *

Caitlyn gasped in air as memories long suppressed poured into her mind. Her father. Both of her father's. A conversation she couldn't understand as a child, she now understood. She could understand what Garon and Sumeragi had been could understand why she was taken. The only question that remained was...

"Why did he keep me?"

Roger and Azura knelt down next to her. Roger placed a hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her eyes. "Are you okay, Cait? You've been sitting there for several minutes."

She looked up at them, at the scratch marks around Azura's neck, and felt the horror of what she had just done catch up with her. "Yes, I'm fine. Just disgusted with myself. Are you okay? I can't believe what I did to you. It was like... I had no control over myself."

Azura nodded, helping her to her feet. "Do not worry, I am perfectly fine. Don't worry about it. That wasn't you, that was the blood of the Ancient Dragon that runs in your veins."

Caitlyn stared at her hands, confused. "I thought only the Nohrian family had Dragon Blood?"

Ryoma strode over to her. "The blood of the Dusk Dragon runs in the Nohrian royal family, and the blood of the Dawn Dragon runs in ours. But you... You're like the kings and queens of old, Caitlyn. You can actually turn into a dragon."

Azura nodded. "Many of the record books in the royal library record that the ancient ones could do so. But the bloodline had become diluted over the years, and the ability was lost. Or at least, so the books said..."

Caitlyn shook her head. "Never mind me. What happened to the people in this town?" She looked around her. "What happened to mother?"

Ryoma sighed, looking downcast. "The square is devastated. Most of the crowd was killed in the initial explosion, no bodies left behind. And as for mother, well..." He gestured to where Takumi, Hinoka and Sakura were standing hunched over somebody. "You can see for yourself."

Breaking free of Roger's grasp, she ran for the group of Hoshidan Royals. Hinoka saw her approach, and stood to greet her. "Good to see you're back from... Whatever that was."

Caitlyn looked down at her mother. "Never mind me. How is she? What happened to her?"

Sakura looked up at her, tears in her eyes. "She... She's alive. Barely."

She breathed a sigh of relief, kneeling down at her side. Sure enough, her chest rose and fell with shaky breaths. "Thank the gods. But how? I saw the shards penetrate her."

Sakura held her staff over the queen, putting another healing pulse into Mikoto. "I don't know. I- I think the blade was more magical th-than physical. Physically, she's suffered no major injuries."

Caitlyn recalled the brief memories of her fight with the hooded assassin, and how no matter how hard the blade his her it left no physical marks, just sapping her strength. What would have happened to her if the blade had penetrated her thick dragon hide? "So, she's okay then?"

Sakura sobbed. "No! I... I can't feel any traces of magic left in her. Her natural balance is completely disrupted, and she- she can't do magic anymore. She's barely even breathing!"

Not killed. Crippled for life. Caitlyn didn't know which was worse. "Gods. I'm so sorry for not seeing this coming..."

Takumi stood, his eyes blazing with anger. "Your apology means NOTHING!"

Caitlyn stayed silent at her brother's furious rage.

"This is all your fault! Countless people are dead, mother is crippled. And it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't shown up on our doorstep." He laughed angrily. "Oh, sorry, I meant attack one of our forts unprovoked and put my sisters in danger. You don't belong here!"

Ryoma roughly laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Enough, Takumi!"

He angrily shook him off. "Your words change nothing! And besides-"

Azura cut into his angry rant. "Takumi, please liste-"

"Don't speak my name, Nohrian wretch! You're even worse than her, an agent of Nohr. Are we really supposed to believe that neither of you knew this was going to happen?" An angrily pointed away. "Leave, now! I don't ever want to see you again! Go back to Nohr, where you be-"

" **That is** **ENOUGH!** " Takumi whipped around only to find Roger's fist colliding with his nose. A sicken cracking sound following as he was knocked onto his rear. Everyone in the vicinity gasped as Roger stomped his way to the fallen prince. Barely giving him time to recover from the shock, Roger lifted the Takumi by his collar and held him a few inches off the ground. " **I am sick and tired of you and your godsdamned hostility! Your mother is barely alive and all you can do is scream at the sister you lost for years?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!** "

"R-Roger! Please calm down!" Sakura pleaded.

Roger ignored her and kept going. " **Listen here you little paranoid prick! I swear, if I ever, EVER hear you antagonize either Azura or Caitlyn again, I will break more than just your nose!** " He threw Takumi to the ground and gazed at Mikoto. "I'd be in a worse mood if she had died…"

"Roger…" Caitlyn put a hand on his shoulder and quickly removed it. His shoulder felt hot. Like, _scorching_ hot.

"I'm going to find somewhere to vent." He grabbed Alondite from the ground and sheathed it. " **DON'T** follow me."

The Hoshidan royal family watched as Roger stomped off, his boots leaving small cracked sections as he left. Ryoma and Hinoka marvelled at his anger, Caitlyn and Azura were saddened by his outburst and considered going after him, Sakura was terrified that someone so peaceful like Roger could turn so violent in such a short time. And Takumi was in shock from the severe beatdown and talking too he had received from him. He quickly rose to his feet and readied another arrow, aimed directly at Roger's neck.

Takumi felt someone lightly touch his ankle. Looking down sharply, he saw that Mikoto had opened her eyes, looking up at him sorrowfully. "Please... Takumi. Do... Do not fight. Not now. Not when you need to be strong... together. All of you."

Sakura immediately put another healing pulse through her. "Mother, don't try to talk! Lie back. I'll keep you healed until help arrives."

Mikoto smiled gently. "My sweet daughter... Always putting others first. But please... let... let me speak." She looked up at Ryoma, her eyes hard. "This is no doubt Nohr's doing. They have removed from me my magic, and with it we have lost the barrier. No doubt Nohr already marches on us. Defend us, my son. I will not be able to."

Ryoma nodded. "I will. But please, do as Sakura says. Rest. Leave everything else... To me." He looked around the destroyed square, scowling as he did so. "You see, Caitlyn? This is what Nohr brings us. Destruction and despair."

Caitlyn stayed silent about what she had seen in her memories. She was possibly the only person left alive who could speak of what happened in that negotiation room, all those years ago. When Sumeragi's infamous stubbornness finally overwhelmed him. She put it all out of her mind, focusing on her mother. From the corner of her eye, she saw several Hoshidan soldiers arriving. Help was finally here. Leading them was Yukimura, a worried expression on his face.

"Lord Ryoma! Is Mikoto alive?"

Ryoma nodded. "My mother is alive, but near death. Worse, her magic has been taken from her. The barrier she erected that protects us from Nohr is down."

Yukimura looked down at Mikoto, a mix of relief and horror on his face. "Then this makes the following news all the worse. A massive Nohrian force is gathering on our border, near the Ulwyan Plains. They are armed for war."

Ryoma stamped on the ground, fury visible on his face. "This is the last straw. Both me and my mother have worked hard to avoid an all out war, but now..." He stabbed his katana into the ground angrily. "Death is too good for them. Who is with me?"

The Hoshidan soldiers gathered around him all yelled in anger and hate, raising their weapons in violence. Hinoka stood from her mother's side. "I am with you too, brother. Let us show those Nohrian dogs that we are not a weak country to be bullied into submission!"

Takumi also took his place at Ryoma's side. His nose bloody and a little crooked, but he still looked proud. "I'm going to kill all those Nohrian Scum." He stared hard at Azura and Caitlyn, then remembered Roger's words and shook his head. "No matter where they may be hiding."

Yukimura helped several soldiers lift Mikoto onto a stretcher. "Indeed. We must strike now, while we still have the chance. If we wait a moment longer, we will be put on the defensive and the war will be good as lost. Ryoma, there are several strategies I must discuss with you..." He looked down at the sleeping Mikoto, concern on his face. "After I have gotten your mother to a healing house. Wait for me at the castle."

Ryoma nodded, and gestured for the soldiers to be silent. "Search the area for any survivors! I will return to the castle. Tomorrow, we will march to met Nohr's offensive!"

There was more cheering, even from Hinoka and especially from Takumi. Caitlyn couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed by what was happening in such a short period of time. As Ryoma and the royal siblings marched away, she turned to Azura. "There must be another way. Surely the answer in not more bloodshed?" He looked at the retreating forms of his royal siblings. "But I feel that I must go with Ryoma to the border. Maybe I can avoid this war."

Azura nodded. "Yes, I suppose you could. The royals of Nohr are likely to lead at the front lines, and you know them better than anyone in Nohr. You are of both Nohr and Hoshido. If anyone has the potential to stop this war, it is you."

Caitlyn nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Thanks, Azura. You really helped me today…" She paused. Who knows how things may have gone if it wasn't for your song." She snapped her fingers. "How DID that work, anyway? I remember glowing blue, but not much else."

Azura looked away from him. "Uh... I've known that song ever since I was a child. My mother gave it to me, along with this amulet. When I sing it with passion, it has been known to cleanse the soul, refresh the mind. If often puts people's minds at ease, calms tensions. I thought it might work to bring you back to your senses."

"Huh. So it's a magic song."

Azura rolled her eyes. "Yes, if you wish to put it bluntly. There is power in its words. It is ancient, and I don't fully understand it myself. Still, I suppose today has shown that it can be useful on the battlefield." She looked back to Caitlyn. "You know, I do feel as if I've known you a lot longer than just a week. You make me feel safe."

Caitlyn shrugged. "To be honest, you were the one who kept me safe today."

She smiled. "Indeed. I think I will travel with you to the border. Someone has to keep your dragon side under control. Who knows when it might once again go out of control."

Caitlyn nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Azura. It'll be good to have you along. But, if can excuse me, I have to go find a new weapon now. My old one... Wasn't as reliable as I hoped."

With a wave, the two lost royals went their separate ways. Caitlyn intended to go immediately after Ryoma, but she instead found herself wandering the ruined square. It didn't feel real to her, what had happened. Semi visible soldiers? As far as she knew, Nohr had nothing like that at their disposal. Leo would have surely bragged about it if they did. But Ganglari was a gift to her from Garon, and it had caused the destruction. Did he know the effects it had? The blade certainly seemed tied to the mysterious, invisible soldiers. Was Nohr as evil as Hoshido said? She didn't know the answer anymore.

She continued to wander, lost in thoughts. The devastation around her yielded no survivors. Everyone in the immediate blast zone was dead. She overheard one soldier guessing that it was around a hundred and six people who had died. All because she carried that blasted sword into Hoshido, which had only happened because she fought at the fort, which only happened because she had chosen to fight Xander with all she had in the test. For a moment, she longed to be back in the tower where she knew nothing, only living a simple life with her servants, Roger and Gunter. Fresh thoughts of Gunter and Jakob threatened to overwhelm her, so she kept moving, trying to stay ahead of the thoughts. Eventually, she found herself standing in a dead end alley, having wandered for more than an hour. She leaned against the wall, still trying to process what had happened to her.

"Thank Oro you're alive."

Caitlyn spun around, seeing Lilith had appeared just up the ruined road behind her. She quashed all her rambling thoughts. "Woah! Don't scare me like that, Lilith!"

She smiled sadly. "Heh. Sorry." She tapped her foot nervously on the ground. "I'm sorry about what happened, Caitlyn. I... I did my best to help. I put all my power into keeping Queen Mikoto alive while you were fighting those soldiers."

"Thank you, Lilith. Who were they, do you know?"

"... No, not really. They were definitely magical, but I can't say more than that. More importantly, you transformed into an Ancient Dragon."

She nodded. "Yes, I did. It's alright though, Azura was able to bring me back."

Lilith approached her, shaking her head. "Whether they can access it or not, every being with dragon blood has two sides to them- their human side and their dragon side. These are two completely separate personalities and beings. Some dragons, like me, are able to reconcile these two halves and gain control over their entire being."

She suddenly changed into her fish like Astral Dragon form. "I can choose to assume whatever form I wish. For other dragons, their two sides are constantly at war. The dragon side can even overturn the human side, almost entirely erasing it. If you do not learn to control the dragon inside you, it could come out at any time and wreck havoc."

Caitlyn gulped. "I understand. How do I control my inner dragon?"

Lilith warped into her human form and reached into her dress pocket. She pulled out a small, round, green stone connected to a fine steel chain. "This is called a dragonstone. Young dragons used them as training when they were learning to phase between their two selves. It should allow you to control the dragon inside... Until such point as you want to let it out."

She took the stone from Lilith's outstretched palm. The instant she touched it, a small electrical jolt shot into her hand. "Ow!"

Lilith pressed the stone into her hand. "Good, its imprinted on you. Use it the same way you would a Dragon Vein to unleash the power. Hopefully, over time, you'll learn to transform without it."

Caitlyn put the small stone around her neck and tucked it under her breastplate. "Thank you, Lilith. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Lilith smiled. "Likewise, Lady Caitlyn. But there's no time to delay. Ryoma is already making battle plans with your siblings. If you intend to go with him, you must hurry."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll go as quickly as I can. Thank you so much Lilith."

The Astral Dragon morphed into the familiar white swallow, flying up into the sky. No doubt, she'd be watching over her as time went on. She turned towards the castle, sitting up high on the hill above the city. She had to know the truth. What had Garon done? What did her siblings know? There was only one way for her to find out. Caitlyn was going to march with her brothers and sisters in Hoshido.

* * *

 ** _End of Chapter 5..._**

 ** _A/N:_** Whew… done. Wow, it was really fun to do this chapter, even though some characters really didnt get much time to shine.

But, that's going to change come the next chapter once the "choice" is made and we get an old friend back to assist us.

Also, I've been talking with a few of my friends and fellow authors across the FE: Amino about the poll (call me a cheater if you want, but I wanted inputs from people I've known for about a year now) and they've given their two cents and I've counted the PM'd and Emailed votes up so far. And the current and unofficial counts are:

 **(Parenthesis are the total votes including the E-Mails and PM's I've gotten)**

 _~ Roger & Caitlyn: 7 (14)_

 _~ Roger & Azura: 5 (11)_

 _~ Roger & Camilla: 5 (10)_

 _~ Roger & Scarlet: 1 (5)_

 _~ Roger & Felicia: 1 (3)_

 _~Roger & Reina: 1 (1)_

 _ **Current Leader:** Roger & Caitlyn_

 ** _My Opinion:_** I am truly happy that this pairing is in the lead. I've always loved seeing other Fanfics across many sites use a pairing like this and I've gotten so many ideas for how these two will eventually get together, it's kinda ridiculous. Now, I know I shouldn't get excited because there still is four days left in the poll, and I'm not going to simply stop the poll because I want this pairing personally, so depending on who takes the time to read this part, I'd love to see your honest vote and see who you want personally.

And that's the end of that. Farewell for now!


	8. Chapter 6: Into the Ground

_**A/N:**_ And it looks like fate has worked it's magic as the poll comes to an end. I've counted my PM's and the total votes from the poll and the results are in. And just because I'm a cliche loving bastard, here they are from Last to First:

 _~ Last Place: Reina- 2 Total Votes ~_

 _~ Fifth Place: Felicia- 5 Total Votes ~_

 _~ Fourth Place: Scarlet- 9 Total Votes ~_

 _~ Third Place: Camilla- 14 Total Votes ~_

 _~ Second Place: Azura- 25 Total Votes~_

 _And the winner, with a very tight victory…_

 _ **~ Caitlyn- 28 Total Votes~**_

So the story pairing will be "Avatar x Roger", but, to honor our silver and bronze medals, I'm including a special scene with each one for their "A+" Support, since I did technically use an outside source for more votes, so this is how I'm going to say sorry for the half-cheat.

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem Fates: True Revelations**_

 _ **Chapter 6: Into the Ground**_

* * *

The plains stretched out before them as far as the eye could see, only stopped by the mountain range border in the far distance. Green, rolling hills swept outwards from where Caitlyn stood, and small streams crisscrossed the land. It wasn't hard to see why Nohr was so set on these particular plains- They were the perfect example of Hoshido's natural bounty. Hoshido wasn't even farming them, and yet she had no doubt that if she planted a seed in the ground there would be crops to harvest the next year. To think, that the war was started over this land. The second part of it would be started here too. No, Caitlyn reminded herself. I'm here to stop that. I can convince people to stand down.

She swung herself down from Roger's horse; handing the reigns back to Roger as he lead Jalousie off to a safer area. Behind her, the combined might of Hoshido's entire army brewed with intent. Ryoma had prepared them much more in the recent years, and the thousands strong army stood dressed in simple yet highly effective battle robes and armour, their faces covered by a wide brimmed hat and a cloth covering their face. When the Hoshidan army moved, they moved as one, like an elegant sea of white silk and shining weapons. There was no doubt they were well trained, well equipped and well led. The problem, as Caitlyn saw it, was that they were squarely outnumbered.

Advancing towards them in strict, regimented units was the Nohrian army, stretching from one end of the plains to the other. Try as Hoshido might, they could never match the military force of a country bred from war. Legions of cavalry advanced with spears held aloft, Berserkers stomped out warbeats, the Wyvern Brigade danced their intricate and ritualistic battle ceremony in the sky, and the Dark Mages scattered throughout the army were busy casting dark hexes of power over their allies. There was no doubt; Nohr was the power to Hoshido's elegance. Centuries of experience, strategies and hardship had forged the most efficient and devastating army the world had ever seen. And now, with the barrier down, they were free to march on Hoshido. Seeing such a force bear down on her, Caitlyn almost got right back on Jalousie and ran.

"Do not fear, my sister. Nohr is unprepared for what we have in store."

Caitlyn turned to face Ryoma, who was fully kitted out in his war headgear, red armour and the robes that denoted him as leader. No official statement had been made, but it was generally accepted that in the stead of Queen Mikoto's delicate condition, Ryoma was now the King. He certainly looked the part. "... Ryoma, if we do this, so many lives will be lost. Will it be worth it?"

Ryoma stared down the Nohrian army. "Yes. Because for every life we take, every yard we gain, we are revenging a decade of oppression and insults to our sovereignty. These people fight not because they were told, but because they desire to defend their homeland. That is why we win over these conscripted slaves."

Caitlyn decided not to point out that most people volunteered to join the army. Joining gave extra rations to you and your family, a steady job, training, and recognition. More than that, it was the hope of a better life beyond Nohr. Xander had spoken to her at length about the loyalty and dedication found within Nohr's army. Seeing the land they could take for their families no doubt would only spur them on further.

"... Maybe. What's the plan from here? Which strategy are we using?"

Ryoma looked across the battlefield, searching for someone. "For now, we wait and let our forces mobilize. They will not attack now, not while they are not fully prepared themselves. They did not expect us to attack for a while yet. We have caught them by surprise."

Caitlyn had to admit he was right. Behind the main Nohrian force, the tents and camps were still set up. Some of them even still had their fires going. Clearly, an organised Hoshidan response had not been expected so soon. She wondered how, exactly, they had known to start mobilizing here even before the barrier was down. Maybe Nohr was responsible for the invisible soldiers.

"Hah! They don't look so tough." Hinoka strode up behind her, her voice full of false bravado. "We can take them easily. Like mother always used to say, the good will triumph over evil, right?"

Yes, Caitlyn thought, that might be true. The question here is who's who. Ryoma raised his swords up, turning to the army gathered behind him.

"PEOPLE OF HOSHIDO!" He shouted. "FOR TOO LONG, HAVE WE BEEN ASSAULTED BY THE NATION OF NOHR! WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO PREVENT WAR, BUT IT SEEMS THEY ARE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE AT ALL COSTS, EVEN ATTACKING US AT OUR OWN CAPITAL." The cheers rose up to a crescendo in the crowd, shouts of rage as much as energy. "BUT NO MORE! I ASK THAT YOU FIGHT! FIGHT, FOR YOUR PEOPLE! FOR YOUR LAND! FOR YOUR FAMILIES!" He pointed his blade forward towards the enemy force. "FOR HOSHIDO!"

Caitlyn heard Ryoma's booming speech, most of the plains did. But her attention was taken by a familiar figure on horseback, standing at the head of the enemy army. For even at that distance, Xander was clearly distinguishable with his dark armour and regal posture. And just like with Ryoma, she could hear his voice from the other side of the lines.

"Loyal soldiers of Nohr! Long have we waited the day when our troubles would end! When the hardships would cease! Well, look around you! This is the land you were promised! Where you can make a new start, free from the pain of your past! Hoshido has chosen to squander their wealth, to waste it on themselves. Well I say no more! Fight, as any Nohrian would, for the prosperity- nay, survival of our kingdom." He drew Siegfried, holding it high above his head. "FOR THE GLORY OF NOHR!"

The plains became drenched in the cries of anger, resentment, and endless generations of pain. Both sides believed, fanatically, in their cause. And, as the leaders of each nation raised their sacred blades, the armies began to march. Caitlyn felt herself swept along with the push, the soldiers behind her not letting her lag behind. She felt herself falling into step alongside Ryoma, who seemed to be breaking into a run as the Nohrians got closer. The noise got louder, the armies got closer, and the bloodshed grew nearer.

In the far distance, an Astral Dragon watched in fear. From even further away, a being of unfathomable age laughed at the sight of the two armies clashing.

Caitlyn didn't want this. The iron blade she held in her hand felt sweaty and painful, the roar of the two armies drowning her shouts to Ryoma to try and parley. She should have tried harder to convince her brother. It wasn't right; it wasn't okay what was happening. Caitlyn knew that if she didn't do something to stop this charge now, it would forever haunt her. So rather than resist the push, she broke into a sprint. Ran far ahead of Ryoma, even as her brother yelled caution at her. Ahead of even the most eager Hoshidan soldier, straight towards the Nohrian advance. Placing a hand against her breastplate, she felt her dragonstone's power radiate and willed it to release the power inside her.

With a burst of red light, it was not Caitlyn that stood between the two armies.

The ground shook as it reared up on its hind legs. A shockwaves blasted out from it as it transformed, giving every soldier pause. Then, it slammed back down onto all fours with a crash like a thousand thunderclaps. The earth shattered beneath its feet, the front line soldiers were knocked onto the ground, and some trees were bent over backwards. But every soldier on the battlefield froze up in terror as the Ancient Dragon opened its mouth and let out an ear splitting, universe shaking roar.

They say that if you stand out on the Ylissean fields at night when all is silent, you can still hear the echo of that roar. Whether that be true or not, there is no doubt that every single soldier came to a grinding halt- Ryoma and Xander included. Azura began to shove her way to the front with Roger close behind, convinced she would have to bring her back, while Roger thought that Caitlyn was in danger.

The Dragon turned its head to stare Ryoma dead in the eyes, challenging the tiny mortal to try and approach her. Then it turned, staring down the equally startled Nohrian army. Both sides were at a complete standstill. Even those who couldn't see the Dragon knew that something of great power stood before them. The dragon observed its surroundings, counted up the numbers, and decided that if it wanted to, it could tear the both armies apart. It snorted, wondering if it should test that theory.

'NO.'

The voice resonated from deep inside of it. The dragon knew what it was, its human side given voice by the dragonstone. Still, the weak human had no control over him. If it desired peace, it would fight them all to a standstill.

'NO. THEY HAVE STOPPED BRIEFLY. LET ME TALK TO THEM.'

The Ancient Dragon winced at the harsh volume of the words. The human was strong as well. And the dragon respected strength. ' _Very well, it decided. Let us see if you can accomplish with words what I would with strength.'_

The red aura blazed around the Ancient Dragon, forcing Xander and Ryoma to look away. Caitlyn fell to her knees, exhausted from the transformation. Slowly, in full view of both Xander and Ryoma, she stood tall. Both her brothers stared at her in shock. Xander spoke first.

"... Caitlyn?! You're alive?" He took a step forward. "They haven't harmed you, have they?"

Caitlyn shook her head, standing between the two opposing forces. "I'm fine, Xander. But I need you to hold your troops back. We need to talk."

Xander looked at him strangely. "My sister... It gladdens me to see you alive, but I cannot stand down in front of the enemy. Not even for you."

The princess born of dragons stared her brother in the eye. "You can. Ryoma, that goes for you too. Right now, right here, we are going to have a talk. As princes to a princess." She turned around and eyeballed Ryoma, making sure he got the message as well.

Hesitantly, both commanders whispered orders to their subordinates which spread through the army like wildfire. Both sides lowered their weapons, battle fury temporarily silenced by the greater fear of having to hear the dragon's roar again. The war Wyverns in the sky began to settle on the battlefield. One very familiar rider flew right over to where they were standing, landing with a thump. The purple haired rider immediately dismounted, running over to Caitlyn. Camilla had arrived.

"Sweetie! I was so worried about you. Don't ever wander away from me again." She tried to offer her a hug, but she stepped back.

"It's good to see you too Camilla, but this is not the time. Xander, where is Leo?"

Before she could answer, the man himself broke from the ranks and came trotting over to the group on his horse. "Right here, sister. I'm glad you're okay. After what we heard happened, you must have the devil's own luck!"

Her sibling's warm smiles almost convinced her to walk right over to them, but she held firm. Impartial. She was an impartial go between, born of Hoshido and raised of Nohr. Only she could bridge this gap of hatred. Then Elise ran out from behind her bodyguards, an ecstatic grin on her face.

"Yay! We got out sister back!"

Her image broke and she crouched down, embracing her in a hug. She couldn't help it. Elise was one of the closest friends she had, one of the few people who had visited her often as a child. However, she quickly broke away from her, aware of the dissent growing from the Nohrian side. Most of all, from Hinoka. She seethed, hovering on her Pegasus above them.

"Nohrian Scum! First you kidnap her, now you lie to them? Caitlyn is MY sister, not yours! How dare you!"

Once again, the scum comment rankled on Caitlyn. Before she could respond, an earsplitting whistle brought Hinoka down to the ground. The royals and Caitlyn turned to see that Roger and Azura had made it to the front. Roger stared the princess dead in the eyes. "Hinoka," He growled. His voice dripping with venom. "Hold. Your. Tongue."

She looked down at him, still angry. "What?!"

"Remember that they are not the only Nohrians on the battlefield." He glanced at Caitlyn. "And they used to be her family."

Seeing Caitlyn's sad expression, her gaze softened. Camilla laughed, stroking her Wyvern. "Yes, I'm afraid you're mistaken. Caitlyn is my sweet little sister, and you may not have them. Not that she would want you, anyway."

Caitlyn turned to face her other sister, just as irritated. "Please watch how you speak, Camilla. They're my family as well."

The Malig Knight seemed rather taken aback by her comment, shutting her mouth promptly. Caitlyn took a step back so she could look at both Ryoma and Xander. "My brothers. Please, this has to stop. War here will only mean bloodshed and sorrow. The cycle of hate that has defined this generation will continue. I still believe that we can fix this peacefully. Without war, but with words."

Xander scoffed. "It seems you are still as naive as ever. Nohr tried negotiating, and it got us nowhere but deeper into a hunger crisis. Do you propose we return to King Garon empty handed, with nothing to feed his people? I am sorry, little princess, but that cannot be so."

Caitlyn continued. "But Sumeragi is no longer king, Xander. Now, we have the potential to negotiate again. Right here. To try and reach a solution that suits everyone."

Xander stared at his sister. "Do you truly mean what you are saying?" He glanced at Ryoma. "Does _he_ truly mean what you are saying?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Yes, of co-"

"Do not think to speak for me, my sister." Ryoma stepped towards Xander, aggression in his footsteps. "Nohr has bullied our borders, slain our countrymen, and sent horrific beast to rape our lands. And now, right after an attack on our mother's life, you intend for me to compromise?" He settled into an attacking stance, drawing Raijinto with a clean swish. "My father died protecting these lands. I will not stand by as his ideals are crushed over by an empire taking advantage of your good will."

Xander nodded. "I thought as much. Sorry, little sister, but war is not so easily solved. It takes more than a few apt words to fix these scars." He reached into his sheath, drawing out the long and broad broadsword, Siegfried. "This is how things must be. King Garon has commanded it."

Caitlyn felt her control of the situation slipping away. "Please, stop! It doesn't have to end like this Ryoma, see reason. We stand to benefit if we gift some land to-"

"Please, Caitlyn. Do not make this harder than it already is. I have accepted that today will be filled with losses. I have made peace with the fact that I am leading my country into a war that will claim thousands of lives." He held his hand out to his sister. "All that I ask today is that I don't lose you."

Caitlyn stepped back. "Wh- what are you saying?"

"Stand with us! With your homeland! If your goal is peace, then fight with us to protect it!"

Xander shook his head violently. "Caitlyn, we have raised you since you were a child. I... Confess, I have always known of your true lineage. But I have grown to accept you as my own blood. Come home with me, little princess. We can be a family once more!"

Hinoka landed next to Ryoma. "No, don't listen to him Caitlyn! Nohr isn't your home, Hoshido is!"

By this point, Takumi and Sakura had reached the front line and stood behind Ryoma. Takumi simply stared at Caitlyn, waiting for her to make a decision. Sakura took a shaky step forward, mustering all her confidence.

"B-big sister... Mother needs you! H-her heart will break if you leave her now!"

Elise frowned. "She's my sister!"

Caitlyn looked back and forth between her two families. "Please... Please don't make me choose. We can still fix this! It doesn't have to end in war. It doesn't!"

Xander shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry it has to come to this, Caitlyn. But I trust you can make the right decision."

She felt like she was being torn in two. Every time she thought she'd made a decision, she was reminded of another reason she shouldn't make it. Her loyalty. Her mother. Takumi. Elise. Azura. Lilith. Invisible warriors. Deep inside her, the Ancient Dragon whispered in her ear.

' _Let me out let me free I can bring them to their knees and force them to worship us as a queen.'_

Caitlyn shook her head to try and dispel the voice. She clutched her dragonstone; the familiar power reminded her that she had control. She could make the best of this. If they didn't want to listen to reason, then she would just have to make the best choice for not just her, but for both nations. Nohr or Hoshido? Bloodlines or Loyalty? Family or Relatives? The confused child closed her eyes, thinking it over with as much calm as she could muster.

Then the dragon spoke once more.

' _If you truly do not wish to ruin them… Then there is another path you could travel.'_

Caitlyn quickly caught the voice of the dragon and looked at an unknown entity. " _There is? Please! Tell me!"_

' _I will, but be warned human, this path will be treacherous. It will pit both of the kingdoms against you and your actions could potentially unite them under one banner or tear them apart further.'_

" _I… I understand."_

' _Then it all begins with one declaration. You must gain the attention of both elders and declare that you will not side with either.'_

" _Okay… I'll do it."_

The voice of the dragon went silent as she saw all eight of her siblings arguing with each other. And apparently, Roger and Azura had gotten in front of her and were trying to calm the royals. Caitlyn quickly dashed up to Roger and whispered something in his ear. He gave her a questioning look and she nodded. Roger shrugged, grabbed Azura's attention and motioned for the two of them to cover their ears. And without so much as a warning to either set of siblings, Roger put his fingers into the corners of his mouth and whistled a whistle so high-pitched and loud, the entire valley grew silent. As both Xander and Ryoma turned to Roger, he stepped aside and let Caitlyn step forward.

"I have made my decision." All heads turned to her expectantly. "I…" She looked at Roger and Azura, their faces calm. They nodded together, knowing what Caitlyn would do. "I… won't betray anyone." She turned to Xander. "I won't fight against the people of Nohr after you cared for me all these years. You and Camilla, Leo and Elise…" She paused. "We might not be related by blood, but you are family to me. You've been with me for as long as I can remember."

Xander's face softened and his stance relaxed somewhat. "Well said, little princess. What ties us together is thicker than blood. Now come, fight with us and join your-"

"Hold your tongue!" Ryoma yelled. He looked at Caitlyn. "Caitlyn, what are you even saying? Are you going to discard your true family for those traitorous bastards?!"

"No." Ryoma looked at her confused. He lowered Raijinto and looked her dead in the eyes. "I refuse to fight against my Hoshidan siblings, either. Ryoma...we might not have spent much time together, but you are my family too. You, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura... I don't want to fight with you on this or any other battlefield."

"We feel the same. But you must choose, either join us," He locked eyes with Xander. "Or _them._ "

"No! I won't side with one just to kill the other! I won't betray either of my families!"

Xander looked surprised. "Caitlyn, what are you-"

Ryoma shared the same look and finished the sentence without realizing it. "-Going to do then?"

Caitlyn looked at her two brothers and sighed. "I am deeply and truly sorry for both of you, but I won't pick a side." Caitlyn sheathed her own blade and motioned for Roger and Azura to do the same. "Please! Set your swords aside! Allow one final chance for negotiations! We can resolve this peace-"

"I've heard enough!" Xander's roar cut Caitlyn off as she retreated slightly. "Caitlyn, I can see what you're trying to accomplish here. As your older brother, however, it is my duty to teach you the truth…" He re-entered his stance and pointed Siegfried at Ryoma. "By showing you the true Hoshidan nature!"

"Xander! Please just wait-"

"Not while I still stand…" Ryoma pointed Raijinto at Xander's chest, the teal lightning crackling menacingly. "Caitlyn is finally back with her family—I will not let you take her again!"

"Ryoma! Xander! Please stand down!" Caitlyn tried to step forward, only to be stopped by Roger's hand. "Roger?! What are you-"

"Cait, they aren't going to listen now. Let's fall back and make another plan." He nodded to Azura and the three of them took off before the families began to fight.

* * *

Once they were a fair ways away from the main force, Roger released her wrist and sighed. "We need a new approach to get their attention. Find a way to pull them out of this state so we can talk to them."

Azura scanned the battlefield and saw two groups of soldiers, each being commanded by a slightly more ornate unit. "I think I have an idea." The two half-bloods turned to Azura. "We'll target those two groups and their commanders. If we take them out, it will surely draw the attention of both Prince Xander and King Ryoma."

"Good plan, but I see a few problems." Roger pointed to each group. "If we go after both groups, that's ten hostiles in total. And we number only three." He pulled Alondite from its sheath and willed the blade to let a small amount of flame form along the edge. "We'd need at least one more soul if we intend to do this within our time limit."

"I wish Gunter or Jakob were still here…" Caitlyn sighed at the loss of her friends.

"They're… gone?" Roger sounded genuinely surprised at that. "Then who's that brawling with one of the Samurai over there?"

Caitlyn looked where Roger was pointing and gasped. It was Jakob! Alive, healthy and fighting with a sense of brutality that she never saw before. She thought it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, but she blinked a few times and saw that it was no false sight. It was, in the living flesh and blood, Jakob. Caitlyn was about to yell for him, then realized that her yell would only be drowned out in the battle, and she didn't want Roger to whistle again lest more enemies enter their battle. She thought for a moment and tried to think of another way to get his attention, and saw a fair-sized rock by her feet. She picked the small stone up and threw it at Jakob, hitting him in the shoulder and catching his attention after he finished the Samurai he was dueling. She could see his eyes widen at her appearance and rushed over.

"Milady!" Jakob quickly hugged Caitlyn and lifted her off of the ground from the sheer happiness he was feeling. After the initial shock died down, he placed Caitlyn back on the ground and returned to his prim and proper personality. "Apologies for the sudden outburst, I am just glad to see you are alive and well."

Caitlyn smiled at him and nodded. "I'm happy to see you too Jakob. But how are you alive? I saw you fall into the Bottomless Canyon."

"I believe it is what Lord Marren and Prince Leo call "luck"." He lifted a small portion of his shirt to show a scar on his stomach. "The poison on that Ninja's shuriken was similar to my own and luckily sapped only my strength. With what little will and strength I had remaining, I drew my last dagger, and pierced it into the cliff to stop my descent. After that I climbed my way up to a small outcropping, performed a minor amount of self care and purged the toxin from my system. I then climbed back up, took shelter in the fortress and waited for the Advance scouts to find me and take me back to Nohr." He tucked his shirt back in and straightened himself out. "From there, I spent a few days recovering to full strength."

"Well that explains how you're alive." Roger pulled a small set of steel shurikens from his bag and handed them to Jakob. "I know you're not familiar with them, but until we can get to an actual smithy, those are your best bet."

"I shall make do." He gripped one of the shurikens like the daggers he was using previously and noticed that besides the shape, the feeling was quite similar. "And to explain my appearance here, I decided to join up with Prince Xander and the others so I could potentially get a second chance at dueling that Saizo wretch."

"Well you may get that chance later on, but right now?" Roger pointed to the group of Samurai and Savages by the river. "I'll need your help dealing with them."

"It would be my pleasure." Jakob looked at Caitlyn one more time and noticed she was still smiling. "Will you be joining us milady?"

"No. Azura and I will deal with the other soldiers on the other end of this area. Just make sure you two stay safe. And no killing!" The three of them looked at her curiously. "We… we need to make a point in proving we are willing to fight, but not kill, for peace. Knock them out and disarm them, but no lethality."

"Gotcha." Roger stopped the flame from spreading any further and nodded to Jakob. "I'll give you the openings, and then you nail them with a shuriken. You do have your venom, right?" Jakob pulled a small black vial from his shirt pocket. "Nice. Then let's get to work." Jakob poured a few drops of the clear poison onto the shurikens and followed close behind Roger.

"Will they be fine on their own?"

"I've known them for years Azura. With Jakob's grace and Roger's talent, they'll be done in moments." Caitlyn pulled her iron katana from her waist and pointed it at the small group of wyverns on the other side of the river. "We'll be dealing with them."

"Then let us get moving," Azura drew her naginata and pointed to the small flock of wyverns. "Any ideas?"

"Hmm… try and disable their mounts. Slash their wings, tackle the riders off or just try and harm them enough to get them to drop their axes. Just no killing."

"As you wish."

Caitlyn smiled as the two of them charged the small squad of Wyvern Riders, their blades glinting in the early sun. The commander of the group sent two of his squad forward to intercept, their axes primed and ready to strike. The first rider chopped downwards at Caitlyn, which she was able to deflect and slash at his unguarded arm. The rider winced in pain from under his helmet and was quickly finished off by Azura hitting him in the chest with the blunt end of her naginata. The rider fell from his mount and hit his head against a rock beneath his wyvern and with a loud *clunk!* the rider stopped moving. His helmet prevented any major damage, but from the sound, the impact was heavy enough to knock him out. The second rider stared at the two princesses and made the wise move to retreat, dropping his axe and flying away. They saw the commander's angered stance as he sent the other two riders towards them. Caitlyn only smiled as she placed her hand against her chest and felt the jolt of power course through body and spirit.

Meanwhile, Roger and Jakob were having their own instance of difficulty with the Hoshidans. The two of them knew their speed, and Roger had plenty of training against Hoshidan warriors, but Jakob had little actual field training against Hoshidan battle techniques. So after they ko'ed the first Savage, they had to backpedal slightly and play more defensive. From what Roger knew, a Hoshidan club was similar to that of a Nohrian axe, which meant a sword had the advantage against it. Using the lighter weight, Roger kept his opponents at bay until Jakob could land a successful throw. He made a mental note to make another battle journal with information about both sides strengths and weaknesses. Case in point, it seems any "Hidden" class weapons were somewhat ineffective against Axes and Clubs.

' _I can see why Xander isn't that scared of fighting these guys. They aren't that well trained…'_ Roger blocked another club blow and used a burst of Alondite's fire to melt it in half. The Savage watched his weapon liquify and tried to throw a punch which was easily sidestepped and then countered with a kick to his lower back, followed by a shuriken hitting him in the same spot. ' _Even the ones who LIVED to fight don't have that much skill.'_ He blocked another slow swing from the third Savage and pushed him back. "Nighty, night."

The Savage looked confused as two shurikens hit him, one in the shoulder and the other in the stomach. He quickly passed out as the poison took effect within moments. Roger made another mental note to try and reproduce what Jakob was using for later encounters. The Butler and Mercenary looked at their final two opponents. The Samurai Commander and the remaining Savage. Roger stared the two of them down and started to make a plan. The Savage was going to be the easy one, just a quick counter-slash and then a follow-up from Jakob. The commander however, would be a problem. His armor looked thicker than the other Samurai he saw, and it seemed a little heavier than the other armor as well. His sword was a simple silver katana, no flashy decorations or trinkets, just a plain silver blade. The two of them locked eyes for a split second and Roger caught the info he needed. The commander was blind in one eye.

Roger grinned and willed his violet spellfire to coat Alondite. He waved Jakob over and whispered his plan into his ear. The Butler nodded and pulled another triad of shuriken from his pocket and started circling the two remaining Hoshidans and waited for Roger to make his move. Roger kept his eyes locked on the commander, the hand gripping Alondite emitting a faint purple smoke. He waited for a single, solitary moment, then charged. Roger launched a blast of violet fire towards the Savage and hit him square in the chest, knocking him away from the commander and leaving him open for Jakob to throw one of his shurikens into his chest. The commander retaliated with one fluid motion and slashed at Roger's wrists, in a poor attempt to disarm him. Roger quickly backpedalled and aimed his own slash at the commander's arm, which was deflected with another strong slash. The two warriors were quite similar in speed, power and skill. But the commander had something Roger did not. A blind spot.

Jakob had managed to get behind the commander and threw a shuriken, with deadly precision, into his back through one of the gaps in his armor. The commander grunted as the point dug into his back, giving Roger the chance to finish him off. He spun the blade back so the tip was facing behind him and spun, the commander barely had time to counter as Roger's attack knocked the katana from his hands, leaving him defenseless. Before he even knew what happened, another shuriken buried itself into his unguarded waist and he finally succumbed to the poison. The commander fell face first onto the ground and finally ceased movement as Jakob pulled the shurikens from his body, wiping the blood off and putting them back in his pocket.

The two fighters heard the whinny of a horse and quickly turned to see that both princes were yelling commands to their soldiers as they began to stand down. Roger quickly sheathed Alondite and ran alongside Jakob to see what the hell happened. Once they got close enough, they saw four unconscious bodies of the Wyvern Riders that were on the other side of the river. The two of them regrouped and let out a sigh as their task was done.

Caitlyn panted as she saw both sides standing down. "It wasn't easy, but... I think we got them to stop fighting…" She noticed both of her brothers walk out of their respective armies, their faces grim and unamused. "Uh oh…"

"...Tch. Why, Caitlyn?" Xander began, his voice dark and and sorrowful. "Why would you turn on us this way? Even if we aren't blood related, don't you feel any loyalty at all?"

"Xander, I didn't mean to do any of this! I just wanted you to listen to me!"

"Caitlyn…" She turned to Ryoma, who looked just as sad and dejected as Xander. "Why would you betray Hoshido? Have you lost all sense of justice?"

"I haven't betrayed either of you! I just want to talk-"

"I...always thought of you as a sister…" Xander's grim look quickly changed to anger. "...Damn it all. Spread word among the troops. Caitlyn has turned traitor!" He turned his steed around. "From this moment forth, she is our enemy and should be captured on sight!"

"Please listen to me! I don't want this to-"

"Caitlyn…" Ryoma's expression changed from sorrow to anger as well. "Even now, I still remember the agony I felt the day you were kidnapped. I know we can't get back the time we lost…" He looked up, his eyes cold and emotionless. "But... I still hoped that someday we would be reunited as a family... I see now that I was living a fantasy." He turned around and walked back to his own soldiers. "...Tell everyone. Caitlyn is truly lost to us! If she insists on becoming our enemy, then all we can do is fight her!"

"Ryoma! Xander! Please! I don't want to-"

Roger placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cait… it's no use." He sighed. "They aren't going to listen. We need to retreat, the more distance we can put between us and them, the better." Roger whistled again as Jalousie ran up to them. "I know a small town a few miles out that's considered neutral ground. We can hole up there for a while."

Caitlyn nodded and looked at the Hoshidan and Nohrian armies one final time. "Xander… Ryoma… I do hope and pray that you will understand, some day."

* * *

The four of them had retreated to the neutral town a few miles out and bought a room in the local inn. Caitlyn and Azura were seated at a low table while Roger and Jakob made tea and coffee. The two princesses stared at the oaken surface and sighed, knowing that what they have started will be a very difficult journey. It wasn't long until Jakob and Roger sat down beside them, with a full pot of both drinks resting on an iron stand to prevent damaging the table and with a little spark of Roger's spellfire to keep them warm. They all sat in silence, trying to discern whether or not this was a victory or a loss.

Roger sighed and summoned a small flicker of spellfire and started bouncing it between his fingers. "...Now what?"

That was the all important question. He, Caitlyn, Azura and now Jakob just made themselves enemies of not just one, but BOTH kingdoms. Caitlyn didn't want to admit it, but they had backed themselves into a corner with no perceivable way out. She had no idea on how she could get both Nohr and Hoshido to unite without bringing complete chaos down on either side, and then there was that one question that plagued her still. What were those invisible warriors? They wore Hoshidan armor and cloth, wielded weapons of both kingdoms and fought like Nohrians. But they had no emblem from either kingdom on their armor, and she didn't even want to guess what curse made them flicker and shimmer like that. She looked at Azura who seemed to be in deep thought.

"Hey… Azura? Are you okay?"

The bluette princess awoke from her state and turned to Caitlyn. "Yes, I am fine. Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed like you were thinking about something _really_ hard there. Care to share?"

"I'm just wondering if we made the right decision…" That caught everyone's attention. "Caitlyn, you do know if we can't leave things like this for long, otherwise we'll all be marked as traitors to both kingdoms."

Caitlyn didn't respond. She knew the risks when she listened to the dragon inside her. She looked at her current companions and each of their troubled faces. Caitlyn sighed and continued to play with the small flower she picked up along the way to the town.

"Caitlyn, listen to me." She looked Azura dead in the eyes, her bright red into her shimmering yellow. "You'll lose everything if you don't choose a side. It's either Hoshido or Nohr."

"..."

Roger snuffed the flame out between his thumb and finger and sighed again. "Cait, just say something. Please."

"No." Azura glared at her. "There is another option, and you saw it. We won't side with either, and I won't support Hoshido or Nohr."

Jakob sighed and finally added his two copper to the conversation. "But, milady, that brings up the ever important question, how?"

"I see it like this. Roger?" Roger nodded and conjured two different coloured flames. One bright blue, and the other lavender. "I have my birth family in Hoshido." She traced the Hoshidan emblem with the lavender flame. "I also have the family that raised me in Nohr." She drew the Nohrian emblem with the blue flame. "I can't choose to side with one against the other. I simply can't do that." She put one finger on each drawing and ran another strip of flame until they touched, "I don't care if I lose everything. This is what I've decided." She nodded to Roger and he nodded back, wiping the flames away with a little flourish of his hand.

"I see…" Azura looked down at the teacup in her hands. "You have to be willing to risk a lot to accomplish something major…" She looked at her reflection in the black drink and sighed. "I suppose you're right. My own mother lost her life protecting Nohr. But I don't think she regretted her choice. She died to protect the ones she loved. I've made up my mind as well. I will follow you down the path you've chosen."

"I shall say the same." Roger added. "I said it once, I've said it twice, and godsdammit if I have to say it another thousand times, I will. I made a promise to stay by your side no matter what Cait. And I'm going to see it through to the end." He finished with his trademark smirk and flash of his teeth.

"Azura… Roger…" Caitlyn wiped a stray tear away and smiled. "Thank you. Both of you."

"I'm sorry to interrupt milady, but I have a new question." Caitlyn turned to Jakob as he placed his empty cup on the table. "Where shall we go? I doubt Nohr will accept me, and the three of you are proclaimed as traitors to both kingdoms."

"I think I have a good place to hide." Caitlyn stood up and brushed herself off. "Roger, Jakob, gather up some new weapons and get any medicines you can find. Azura, you'll be coming with me." She grabbed her katana and made her way to the door. "I you to meet a friend of mine."

The three of them nodded and did as asked. Roger and Jakob made their way to the markets with bags of coins in hand. Roger had made it a bad habit to loot bodies for coins and jewelry, so he had a pretty large personal wallet at his disposal. He never openly said how much he had, but he always hinted that it was… by his words "enough to restore the Northern Fortress". Caitlyn knew that Roger would be able to procure some very nice armaments and plenty of medicine so Jakob could keep the healing to a minimum. The two of them were browsing an assortment of swords for Caitlyn, knowing that her katana wouldn't do much good in later battles.

"Hmm… perhaps a Brave Sword? Lady Caitlyn isn't the quickest on her feet."

"Have you seen her duel against me? Woman's like black-haired lightning." Roger picked up a Levin Sword. "Yay or no."

"I doubt giving someone like her a weapon imbued with lightning is a good idea."

"Good idea." He placed the blade back on the rack and continued to browse. "Gods this is harder than I expected…"

"We need a lightweight weapon with good striking power. Something that doesn't hinder without sacrificing durability." Jakob noticed another sword wrapped in a faded cloth. "Perhaps that one?"

Roger looked to where he was pointing and picked the bundle up. It felt quite light, despite being around the same size as Alondite, and he ran a finger over the flat and felt that there weren't any scratches, chips or even dried stain marks. Roger undid the cloth ties and let the blade see the light once more, and it was a beautiful work of brutal art. The blade was made of a gold-like metal, polished and smoothed down to mirror objects like glass. The handle was a solid material that he couldn't remember and the guards were similar to a bird's talons, decorated with a red jewel on either side. If Roger was picking the weapon for himself, he'd take this without a doubt, but it was Caitlyn's weapon. He wrapped the blade up and tied it off before going over to the merchant. He tapped the grizzled merchant's shoulder as he turned to face him.

"What ya' want, stranger?"

"This. How much?"

The merchant unwrapped the blade again and looked it over. "5,000."

"I'll do 3,000."

"This is a relic lad, dug it up myself in an ancient Hoshidan temple. 4,500."

"And judging by the age of the cloth it's been wrapped in, you've had this for about a decade and no one's bought it. 3,750."

"..."

"..."

"4,000. Final offer."

"Throw in the Killing Edge on the top rack for free and we've got a deal."

"Fine." He grabbed the red & bronze sheath from the top shelf and handed the two swords to Roger. "You're a hell of a haggler boy, I hope you keep those in good condition."

Roger gave him a grin and handed him the 80 gold coins. He attached the Killing Edge to his back and held the other sword in his free hand. "Trust me. I won't let a single crack form in these little works of art." He glanced down at the golden blade. "By the way, what is the name of the relic?"

"Dunno. Can't read ancient Hoshidan."

' _Guess I'll have to find a way to translate it myself…'_ , "Okay. But thanks anyway."

The merchant gave a quick wave and returned to his business. Roger counted the remaining coins in his wallet and came up to a rough 20,000 left. Meaning he burnt about fifty percent from the daggers, armor and meds alone. He sighed and attached the pouch to his waist. Roger leaned against one of the shops while Jakob browsed through an assortment of staffs, insisting that he should get one defensive and a few recovery staffs since his own Heal staff was running out of charges. Being the semi-paranoid person he was, he glanced around the crowd for any interesting characters, trying to see if they'd be a worthy opponent if they happened to set a bounty for any of them. He counted off several different candidates. A few Hero's, a couple Adventurer's, a Kinshi Knight, and the final one sparked something.

He had platinum blonde hair, calm brown eyes and was about his age. His outfit though was the true eyecatcher however. He wore a heavy white robe, decorated with strange navy-blue symbols with silver thread bordering them and two reinforced silver plates over his shoulders. The clothing underneath seemed like simple Nohrian civilian clothing with silver armor and a leather jerkin in between, and finished with silver-plated leather boots. He had a very ornate tome in his hand and a Levin Sword at his side.

Roger squinted at the strange figure and whistled at his appearance. He just radiated power, and judging by his armor and weapons, he was loaded too. But he couldn't help but wonder if he'd seen him from somewhere else, maybe the two of them met at Windmire? He didn't know, but he made a mental note to talk to him if they ever met again. Roger kicked off of the wall and noticed that Jakob had already left, after sighing and muttering a few choice words under his breath, he made his way back to the inn where Caitlyn and the others were waiting.

* * *

"Ah! Roger's back. Perfect."

Roger nodded before dropping the bundle of bladed weapons he was carrying. The others opened the bundle and saw the arsenal he and Jakob had acquired. They'd bought Jakob a set of brand new set of Steel Daggers, along with two new vials of venom and two Mend Staffs. Roger himself had grabbed a Killing Edge and grabbed another concoction and a fresh Elixir. They'd gotten Azura a forged Iron Naginata, modified with a heavier counterweight, a thicker blade and reinforced with a silver rod in the shaft, and they also got her a Dual Naginata, which was a way for her to counter Axes without needing a sword. And then they got Caitlyn her new sword and a fresh concoction, along with her Dragonstone, she was well geared and ready for battle.

"Okay, we're geared and ready to move. Where is this _friend_ of yours Cait?"

"One moment." Caitlyn turned around and looked up at the small sparrow in the air. " _Hey Lilith? I think it's time to reveal our little secret."_

" _Very well."_

"Everyone. Before my friend reveals themselves, I do ask for you all to… stay calm." Her three companions gave her an odd look before murmuring their agreements. "Okay, Lilith! You can come down now!" They all watched as the red and blue bird flapped down and landed beside Caitlyn, followed by a flash of bright light as Lilith appeared before them in her Astral Dragon form. "Azura, Roger, Jakob, meet the _real_ Lilith."

The three of them stood silent as they all looked at Lilith. The more pronounced looks of confusion were from Roger and Jakob, since the Lilith they knew was the young stable girl from the Northern Fortress, not this strange fish-like creature before them. Azura seemed less confused and more curious than anything. She carefully approached Lilith and stared at her intently, as if expecting her to retaliate. Lilith simply giggled at their reactions and smiled her little dragon smile. Caitlyn simply sighed and smiled as her two retainers tried to comprehend what had just happened in the past few moments.

"So…" Roger began, being the first one to break the silence. "Lilith is a… what?"

"Astral Dragon."

"And how is she going to help us hide?"

"By taking us to the Astral Plane. Which will only be accessible by us whenever she summons a portal."

Jakob however had just started realizing everything and was just a tad late on the draw. "Lilith?! Milady, do you mean to say this creature is our stable girl? It can't be..."

Caitlyn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Both surprised and annoyed that Jakob of all people was having a hard time understanding this. "Actually...it can. And it is.

"Sorry, milady, but I fail to grasp the joke. Lilith is a human, not a...fantastical beast."

"Jakob, look, I know it's confusing. But, Lilith and I will explain everything later." She turned to Lilith and whispered something in her ear. "And in three…

"What's with the countdown?"

Caitlyn ignored Jakob and kept going. "Two…"

"Caitlyn, why are you making this feel so dangerous?

She ignored Azura as well and continued her countdown. "One…"

"Cait, please tell us what the hell is going-"

"And off we go!" And in a flash of white light, the five of them vanished into thin air. Leaving nothing but faint footprints in the grass where they were standing.

It wasn't long until they reappeared in the Astral Plane. Lilith and Caitlyn were the first two to appear and landed gracefully. Then Azura, who stumbled at first but caught herself with her naginata by driving the blunt end into the ground. Then Roger who stumbled over his own feet and nearly face-planted if it weren't for his constant love of theatrics. And after another minute or so, Jakob finally appeared and landed directly on Roger, which left the both of them dazed and sore. Azura, Caitlyn and Lilith giggled at their little spectacle until Lilith used a small portion of her power to separate the two and straighten their equipment out. Once they stood up they all marvelled at the sight before them. The first thing they noticed was the large, bright white fortress wall that surrounded the entire area, with no perceivable exit or entrance. The next part was the field of bright green grass that covered the ground, minus a few areas where a white brick path was laid out.

"This is…" Roger plucked a few strands of grass from the ground and threw them into the wind. "Damn Lil, you really outdid yourself."

"I agree. This is absolutely stunning." Azura breathed in the cool air. It smelled sweet, with a light floral note. "It's a true sanctuary. Untouched by anything."

"Sorry to dampen your joy, but there is a new question before us." Jakob brushed a few strands of grass from his shirt and straightened his weapon belt. "Now I must ask, Lady Caitlyn, might I inquire...what just happened? And where precisely are we?"

"I apologize for startling you, Jakob!" Lilith reverted to her human form. "Please, allow me to explain…"

Lilith gave the three of them a brief rundown on how everything worked in the Astral Plane, just like she did with Caitlyn when she first arrived. She told them that so long as they stay here in the plane: they could never become ill, the need for sustenance was about a tenth as much needed normally and they never needed to sleep unless they wanted to personally. She then spoke to Roger and Azura specifically, due to the both of them being blessed with a type of draconic power, that there were a plethora of Dragon Veins which they could use to modify and change the environment to their liking. She watched the three of them slowly absorb the information they just had dumped on them, eventually, Jakob broke the silence and spoke again.

"...I see. So, to be clear, we are in something called an astral plane."

"And Cait, Azzy and I can use the Dragon Veins to change the plane to our liking?" Lilith nodded. "Okay… welp. I'm gonna go stare off into the distance for a while and… continue to absorb everything you told me."

"I shall join you." The two gentlemen walked their way to a small staircase and leaned on a small part of the wall, their faces and stances showed their exhaustion and confusion. Lilith had to admit, it was a huge change of pace to suddenly go against both kingdoms without much warning, and now they were in this strange new place with little information and detail on what to do next. She looked at Caitlyn and Azura, who were currently having a small conversation on what to do next. She decided to leave them alone for now and go rest in her shrine.

A few hours passed and Roger, Caitlyn and Azura got to work making a suitable base for them to manage. Even though Lilith said that there were plenty of Dragon Veins to use, the three of them didn't have enough energy to use them all, so they split the tasks evenly and decided to make improvements weekly. Roger was in charge of armaments and medicines. Azura was in charge of resources generation, entertainment and lodging. And finally, Caitlyn was in charge of defense and overall resource managing. They all took to their tasks and built structures accordingly, and each had their own separate quarter to build on. Roger built two armories and an apothecary, along with a Training Arena for them to sharpen their skills. Azura built barracks for any soldiers they may recruit during their journey, she built a mess hall and a healing spring for recovery, and then constructed a personal building for Caitlyn to live in, just to amuse their leader. And Caitlyn had finished building up their defenses, first line was Nohrian Stoneborn, or Golems, they were tough, durable and could hit enemies from afar. The second line were a contraption she fished out of Yukimura's journals, Hoshidan Puppets. She knew if they failed, she and the others could deal with the remainder themselves.

After they had finished their tasks, a group-wide decision was made to forget food and just go to bed. So after saying their goodbyes, Roger, Azura and Jakob made their way to the barracks and Caitlyn made for her personal abode near the temple. The Songstress, Butler and Mercenary all took a bed semi-near each other and sighed, all of them exhausted in their own ways. Of the three of them, Jakob was the first to fall asleep, leaving Roger and Azura alone to their own devices.

Azura, being the most awake of the three at the time curfew was called, simply sat on her bed and fiddled with her necklace. ' _Did we really make the right choice? Was this truly our only option?'_ She looked out the window behind her at Caitlyn's treehouse, now dark. " _I do hope Caitlyn made the right decision…_ "

A minutes later, she was about to get up and take a walk to help calm herself when she heard a faint hum coming from Roger's bed. She turned her head slightly to see that Roger was writing in a small book by the faint amber glow of his own neckpiece. She watched the small pen in his hands write line after line and seemingly never dry out, and his eyes droop with every passing page. She leaned in and tried to hear what he was humming and she quickly recognized what it was. It was her song, or at least a song very similar to hers. She leaned a little closer to try and pinpoint the words, but then quickly retracted as Roger got up from his bed. He stretched, cracked his joints and walked out, slightly dazed. Azura watched him curiously and followed him in the shadows. She followed him all the way to the small topaz pond that Caitlyn had built, watching him as he knelt down in front of it, his necklace still glowing with its faint amber light.

" _What is he doing?_ "

"...Hey mom."

" _Mom_ _?_ " She looked up and gasped silently, seeing what Roger was referring too. There was an amber specter kneeling beside him, wearing the robes of a Hoshidan Onmyoji, or High Diviner. Even though most of her form was a pale yellow, she could still make out her black hair and blue eyes from the light discolourations.

"Been awhile, hasn't it?"

The specter nodded.

"Yeah… how's Will doing? Still keeping his Butler duties?"

The specter nodded again.

"Cool. Well, Dad's been doing well, and I'm still looking for Hikari, wherever she may have disappeared too…"

The specter pouted and placed a hand on Roger's shoulder. He looked at her and saw her face had changed to the warm and caring smile he used to love.

"Heh… yeah. You're right. She's out there, somewhere." He held his necklace in one hand and sighed. "I may not be able to talk to you for a while. I'm… I'm going back to the battlefield."

The specter pouted again. She looked at her son's somewhat dejected face, she knew that whenever he fought, a close friend would die. She shed a few invisible tears and looked at the moon which had risen in the plane. An idea popped into her head shortly after, so she grabbed her son's sleeve to get his attention.

"What's up?"

The specter performed a few hand motions and mimicked a singing motion.

"You want to sing with me? But we haven't done that since I became Garon's Tactician."

The specter fell into a pleading position and seemed to be half-begging.

"Okay… you win." He sighed and stared up at the moon. "Call this a _very_ late mourning gift." He cleared his throat and began to hum a little, letting the familiar tune slowly come back to him. He didn't notice Azura standing a few feet away, and began to sing his own song…

(Together)

" _You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream._ "

" _Like thoughts, become a river stream._ "

" _Yet may the tide every change._ "

" _Flowing like time._ "

" _To the path, yours to climb._ "

Azura was shocked at the sound from both Roger and the specter. Roger's voice, like she heard before, was slightly low and sounded gentle. The strange voice from the specter however, was like her own: calm, sweet and just a little on the high side. The two of them were a perfect match. One covering the other's missing notes.

(Just Roger)

" _Thou seek the light._ "

" _With an outstretched hand._ "

" _A divine blade lies before you_."

" _So command the wake of dreams_."

" _To restore the world, cut 'way the seams_."

(Together)

" _Join in our prayer, in our song._ "

" _Of birthrights and love._ "

" _Come the sun, illuminate the sky._ "

" _Pray that we may quell the dark._ "

" _Light take the throne._ "

" _Lost in thoughts, all alone._ "

(Just the Specter)

" _You are an ocean of waves._ "

" _Weaving a dream._ "

" _Like thoughts become a river stream._ "

" _Yet may the tide ever change._ "

" _Flowing like time._ "

" _To the path yours to claim._ "

" _Thou seek the dark._ "

" _With an unsheathed blade._ "

" _Now a white ivory throne beckons._ "

" _So obtain the fate you sow._ "

" _On this path be wary friend and foe._ "

(Together)

" _Join in the tale, in the blight._ "

" _Of conquest and lies._ "

" _Come the sun, to tarnish in the sky._ "

" _Vow that we shall tear the light._ "

" _Dark seize the throne._ "

" _Lost in thoughts, all alone._ "

(Just the Specter)

" _May thy chosen path lead way._ "

" _And grace you with virtue._ "

" _But surely balance awaits._ "

" _So be it bliss or pain you gain._ "

" _Beyond the route-way's end._ "

" _You'll gain resilience and weakness._ "

" _The trials, the thorn in your side._ "

" _Becomes the greatest strength, in you,_ "

(Just Roger)

" _Descend into the abyss thou see,_ "

" _Where the hearts of many wander,_ "

" _Quietly, they wish and weave,_ "

" _Placing home inside their one pure dream._ "

" _After the storm stills its wake,_ "

" _May all be blessed,_ "

" _So the fate and fallen can find rest._ "

" _Your will, the water reflects._ "

" _So all will know,_ "

" _Your hands brought the morrow._ "

(Together)

" _You are an ocean of waves._ "

" _Weaving a dream._ "

" _Like thoughts become a river stream._ "

" _Yet may the tide ever change._ "

" _Flowing like time._ "

" _To the path yours to climb._ "

" _You are an ocean of waves._ "

Roger stopped and took a deep breath, letting the stress and tension he had finally melt away. He looked at the specter and saw her happy and tearful expression. "I… may have practiced in my spare time…" The specter quickly latched onto Roger and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I'm glad you like it. But it's time for you to go." He kissed the specter on the crown of her head and she faded away, the light of his necklace fading as she vanished. "Goodbye… mom."

That's why he didn't want to talk about his necklace. It was his only connection to the mother he barely knew, and he wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to her. Azura felt a twinge of guilt as she previously pressured him into singing, which in turn could've harmed the spirit. She quickly retreated back to the barracks and snuck back under her sheets to feign sleeping, as to not draw any hostility from Roger if he found out that she was listening. After another few minutes, she heard the door open and close as Roger re-entered the building and the unceremoniously faint onto his bed, a light snore following as he fell asleep. Azura peeked over her shoulder and checked if Roger was honestly asleep or if he was faking it, and judging by the light snore, lack of boots and his hands behind his head, he was out cold. Azura sighed and closed her eyes, the sweet embrace of sleep taking her as she finally relaxed.

' _Tomorrow begins a new battle. Against a force I only prayed to be false. Caitlyn? Roger? I pray you two will believe me tomorrow when I tell you our next move.'_

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter 6…**_

 _ **A/N:**_ So… I suppose it's down to me for chapters now. This was my last chapter with an official guide, so the later chapters may be coming out later than before, but I will still try to keep up as much as I can.

Also, I've got an idea for the next poll: Which amiibo character should join our army first? And just so people are clear, the last character that Roger saw was Robin, just my version from Revelations, so he's the same person, just with his new cloak and memories.


End file.
